Always Knowing the Truth
by Arwennicole
Summary: When everyone is trying to convince you that the person you would die for and kill for was dead, would you believe them or would you follow your own heart?
1. Prologue

**Dislcaimer****: I don't own _The__ Avengers_, just having some fun with the characters.**

**Summary: When everyone is trying to convince you that the person you would die for and kill for was dead, would you believe them or would you follow your own heart?**

Always Knowing the Truth

Prologue

**(Natasha POV)**

I watched as the snow fell outside my window of my new home. Usually I never cared much for such little details before, snow wasn't new to me, but yet this year I had a different outlook on everything. I was watching as two children, one with red curly hair and the other sandy-blond hair making snow angels in the ground.

I just smiled, they would never know the true horrors of their mother's past, they would never have to go the trials and tribulations like I had gone through. They were going to be allowed to be children.

As I stood there, I could hear the bedroom door open and soft footsteps move across the carpeted floor. His strong arms went around my waist and I leaned back against him with tease. "They seem like they're having fun," Clint commented as he stared out the window.

"Yeah, even though I wish Valera would keep her gloves on," I said with a sigh.

"Stubborn, like her mom," Clint commented, kissing the top of my head before letting me go.

I turned around as he walked out of the room. "Where are you going?" I asked as I followed him.

"Why should Valera and Luka get all the fun?" he asked me as he went down the stairs.

I shook my head as he tossed my jacket and hat to me. "Come on, Nat, just because we're not searching for our next target, doesn't mean we have to be boring," he told her.

"Who's the child? Our kids or you?" I asked as I pulled on my jacket.

He just smirked at me before he went outside. I walked outside as he ran over to our son, grabbing the boy from behind and swinging him around the air as our children were laughing like crazy. _Our_ children, never thought that would ever come into my mind. Valera stood up from the ground and ran to me, her red curls bouncing around her shoulders. "Mommy, they fall off," she told me as she held up her gloves.

"They did huh?" I asked as I squatted down, holding her tiny hands between my hands, "Your hands are freezing маленький ангел." (Little angel)

Velara stared at me with her father's big blue-green eyes, making me smile at her as I fixed the hat on her head before putting her gloves back on her hands. "Make sure they stay on this time," I told her. She nodded before she ran over to her brother and father, wrapping her arms around Clint's leg.

"I'm being attacked," Clint said laughing as the kids were trying to push him into the snow.

"That's what you get for trying to be a kid," I told him, laughing.

He just looked at me and he got the kids off of him. "Don't you dare," I told him, knowing exactly what he was going to do. Clint ran at me and he grabbed me around the waist, lifting me up under his arm as he swung me around. I was laughing, but then I was able to get my ankle around his leg, making him lose his balance.

Clint fell back into the snow and I moved fast, pinning him there. "Not fair," he told me.

"When have I ever been fair?" I asked him smiling.

He got his hand loose and he pulled me down into a kiss. "You're the cheater," I told him after I pulled back. I playfully pushed him into snow again before I got off him. I could hear my children laughing like crazy as they were watching their parents playfully chase each other in the snow.

**(Clint POV)**

I grabbed my wife around her waist again and we both fell back on the ground, both trying to catch our breaths from laughing so hard. I held onto her as if my life depended on it, because it wasn't that long ago that these moments were almost completely gone. The moments where chasing each other and our kids on a winter day were nothing but a dream in my head. Natasha smiled at me before she got up from the snow. "Time to go in, it's late," she called to Luka and Valera.

I sat up in the snow, watching as my family went inside and looked out at the vast amount of land we had now. "Clint!" I heard Natasha call for me. I looked back at her to see her waiting for me. "Are you coming?" she asked.

"Yeah," I replied.

I grabbed my discarded hat from the snow and walked up the stone steps to our house. Natasha smiled at me as she reached for my hand and I pressed a kiss to her knuckles as we went inside to get our kids settled down for the night.


	2. When Things go Wrong

Chapter 1: When Everything Goes Wrong

Natasha was brushing out her hair, staring at herself in the mirror as she got ready for another mission. She was wearing a gray dress that ended just above her knees and black stiletto heels. She had a silver clip in her hair, holding her hair from her green eyes, and around her neck was a gold chain that had two rings on it.

She heard the bathroom door open and turned around to see her partner, Clint Barton, coming out wearing a black suit and a black tie. He grabbed a similar gold chain with a thicker gold band from off the dresser and slipped it over his head. "Ready?" he asked as he looked at her.

"Yeah," She replied.

Walking over, he stood right in front of her with his hands on her waist. "Promise me you'll leave if our cover's blown," he told her.

"As long as you promise it back to me," she answered.

"Promise," he agreed.

"Promise," she murmured back.

He hugged her tightly, resting his forehead against the top of her head. Natasha hugged him back, letting out a deep breath. He pressed a kiss t the side of her head before they let go before going into the adjoining room. "Hey, Legolas, let's go," they heard Stark say from the adjoining room.

"Hey, Stark, here's a good idea, shut up. This is why you're on lookout," Clint told him as he fixed the cufflinks on his sleeves.

"This is a party and you're expecting me to stay out of it?" Stark asked.

"Yeah, because people know who you are," Clint replied as he fixed the collar of his shirt.

"And they don't know you?" Stark asked.

Clint looked at him. "Manhattan didn't see my face as much as they've seen yours and I didn't come out on international television saying who I was and what I do," he replied. Bruce got up from his seat.

"Alright, this is here is a little camera that can be pinned onto the lapel of your jacket," he stated, "Natasha already has one it's in her hairclip."

Clint nodded as he pinned the camera to his jacket. "And we have video," Stark commented.

"Steve will be downstairs with Natasha, he has a camera pinned to his tie," Bruce stated.

"Alright, so we just need to find the location of these weapons," Clint commented.

"Enough weaponry to downsize France," Stark replied as he sat back with his feet up on the desk.

"No sleeping on the job this time," Clint told the billionaire.

"Give me something that doesn't make me sit in a room all day," Stark replied.

"Pilates," Clint told him before leaving the room.

Clint walked down the stairs and into the grand ballroom. "M. Bartholomew, si heureux vous et M. Stevens et Mlle Rushmann avez été en mesure de le faire," a man said as he walked up to Clint. (Mr. Bartholomew, so happy you and Mr. Stevens and Miss Rushmann were able to make it.)

"M. Delven, c'est un plaisir de vous voir de nouveau. Les affaires sont bonnes, oui?" Clint asked. (Mr. Delven, it is a pleasure to see you again. Business is good, yes?)

"Oui, oui! Très bon, je vous montrerai les affaires que nous avons commencées dans quelques derniers jours depuis notre première reunion," the man said excitedly. (Yes, yes! Very good, I will show you the deals we have started in the last few days since our first meeting.)

Clint smiled as he followed the man through the ballroom. "Aidez-vous à n'importe quoi, est ce soir une nuit de célébration, parce que bientôt le monde sera le nôtre," Mr. Delven stated as they went over to one of the many tables. (Help yourself to anything, tonight is a night of celebration, because soon the world will be ours.)

"J'ai cru que le plan était de juste prendre l'ordre des bases militaires?" Clint asked as he sat down. (I thought the plan was to just take command of the military bases?)

"Le petit garçon pensant, en pensant petit! Nous devons penser grands, grand si nous devons recevoir nos messages à travers. En fait, j'ai fait scanner mes hommes par et trouve les vrais traîtres dans nos milieux, ils seront gardés assez bientôt," the man answered as he took a glass of champagne from a waiter. (Thinking small boy, thinking small! We must think big, big if we are to get our messages across. In fact, I have had my men scan through and find the true traitors in our midsts, they will be taken care of soon enough.)

Clint looked at him. "Traîtres? Que croiriez-vous pour vous trahir, monsieur?" he asked. (Traitor? Who would betray you, sir?) Suddenly, he saw Delven's eyes go over to Natasha and felt his heart plummet.

Natasha was standing beside Steve as they were noticing that people were staring at them. "This isn't good," Steve murmured.

Suddenly, Clint heard a gun click behind his head. "Glaubten Sie aufrichtig, dass Sie ohne uns durchkommen konnten, die Identität von Fräulein Rushmann überprüfend? Oder sollte ich ... die Schwarze Witwe sagen?" Delven asked, his French turning into German. (Did you truly believe you could get through without us checking the identity of Miss Rushmann? Or should I say...the Black Widow?)

Natasha heard the gun click behind her and she grabbed the man's arm, throwing him over her shoulder. Clint got up from his seat, punching the man in the throat before throwing him onto the table.

The whole ballroom broke out into a panic as men with machine guns came out and started shooting at them. "NAT!" Clint shouted as he ran over to his wife, grabbing her arm as a knife was thrown in her direction. Natasha had Clint duck down and she jumped over his head, kicking a soldier in the face.

"How the hell were we found out?" she asked.

"They must've gotten your picture from another case," he replied as he grabbed the gun that he had hidden underneath his jacket, firing several shots, "Dammit I can't shoot with shit with this thing."

"Your quiver and bow are hidden behind the statue in the corner," she told him, "I'll cover you."

He handed the gun to her as he dodged men and bullets that were heading his way. Grabbing his bow and hit a couple of buttons on the handle before grabbing an arrow and firing up at one of the men with the machine guns. The arrow struck the man and then a huge explosion followed it.

Natasha flipped another man on his back when one man grabbed her arm, throwing her to the floor. Jumping back to her feet, she kicked him the stomach before jumped off his knee and wrapped her legs around his shoulders, throwing him to the floor as she flipped back to her feet.

Clint saw the Delven leave. "STOP!" he shouted as he went after them.

"CLINT!" Natasha shouted as she ran after him.

Clint took out another arrow, firing a shot at the group of men. He hid behind a wall as several rounds of gunfire were aimed at him. "Clint! What the hell are you doing?" Natasha hissed.

"If we stop now he gets away," he answered.

Suddenly, they saw something land just feet away from them. "What is that?" Natasha asked.

"Shit it's a bomb,' he told her.

Tossing his weapons aside, he ran over to the bomb. "This thing's going to blow in two minutes, you need to get out of here," he told her.

"I'm not leaving you here," she answered as she fired several shots back at the men.

Suddenly, Delven grabbed Clint by the neck, throwing him into the wall. Natasha tried to aim at the target, but she couldn't get a clear shot. "A minute forty-five, Nat! Get out!" Clint called to her.

"Not going without you," she answered as she tried to stop the bomb herself.

Just then, Steve ran over to them. "Steve! Get her out!" Clint called out as he kicked Delven in the stomach.

"Don't you dare touch me, Rogers!" Natasha answered.

"GET HER OUT! YOU HAVE FORTY-FIVE SECONDS!" Clint shouted.

Steve grabbed Natasha around the waist. "LET GO!" she shouted, fighting against him. She saw Clint grab Delven by the shirt, throwing him against the wall just as his men grabbed him, throwing him to the floor. "CLINT!" she shouted as Steve dragged her out of the hall.

They made it outside and Natasha spun around outside, shoving the super soldier as hard as she could before she went to run back inside. "Natasha!" Steve called out. Before she could get any closer, the whole building exploded, sending them all to the ground. She got up and her eyes grew wide as she stared at what used to be the mansion. Now it was nothing but rubble.

"Clint!" she called out as she ran over to the rubble.

"Natasha, wait!" Steve called out to her, grabbing her before she could get close, "The place is still up in flames!"

"Clint's in there!" she answered.

"We need to move," Stark told them.

Steve practically had to lift her up and drag her away as she struggled to get to the rubble. "CLINT!" she shouted.

Hours passed and the flames were finally taken care of. Natasha was finally able to go through the waterlogged rubble. Walking over, she opened the body bags. She swallowed hard when she saw a chain hanging out o one of the hands. Opening it, she saw that it was Clint's ring. "Natasha…" Steve said slowly as he stood behind her.

"It's Clint's wedding ring," she murmured.

"Natasha I'm so sorry," Bruce told her.

Natasha opened the other three bags, looking at the hard to be identified bodies. She started searching through the burnt clothes, but any identification was destroyed. "This one is the same height and built as Clint," Steve told her as he gestured to the one to her right. Natasha started going through the charred pockets when she felt something. She pulled out a melted piece of plastic and her knees gave out completely.

"Clint's badge…" she said quietly.

The team frowned and Natasha felt the air constrict in her chest. "I can't breathe," she said suddenly.

"Head between your knees, Natasha," Steve told her as he got her to leaned forward with her head between her knees.

As soon as she was catching her breath, silent tears fell down her face.


	3. Being the Strong One

Chapter 2: Being the Strong One

**(Manhattan)**

Natasha was sitting in hers and Clint's room, staring at everything that he had left out of place. His jacket was lying haphazardly across a chair, some paperwork was scattered across his desk, there were some pants, and boots littering the floor. "Dammit, Clint," she muttered. Getting up, she picked up his pants when she felt something in his pocket.

She reached into his pocket, pulling out his actual wallet. They always had two different kinds of wallets, leaving their real ones behind to protect their true identities. Sitting on the bed, she opened the wallet and looked at the picture of them with their children. It was Valera's birthday and seeing his grinning face in the picture made her heart ache. She sat down on the bed, pulling her knees up to her chest. She felt sick, extremely sick when the flashes of the charred bodies flashed through her body. Bruce had walked in to check in on her when she jumped off the bed and ran into the bathroom. "Natasha," he called walking over to her.

She hunched over the toilet bowl, coughing and retching when Bruce stood behind her, pulling her hair back from her face. "I'm so sorry, Natasha, I'm so sorry," he told her, rubbing her back. Sitting back, she wiped her mouth after flushing the toilet.

"This can't be happening, Bruce, it just can't be. What am I going to tell our kids? They're on the top floor with Pepper and Stark waiting for both of us to walk through that door," She answered.

Getting up from the floor, she used mouth wash and water to try to get the disgusting taste from her mouth. "Just know we're all here for you and the kids," Bruce assured her. Letting out a deep breath, she left the bathroom. Grabbing Clint's jacket off the chair, she wrapped it around herself, taking in his scent. "They're waiting for you," he said softly. Nodding her head slowly, she let squared her shoulders and went upstairs to talk to her children.

When the elevator reached the top floor, she saw Stark tickling a giggling Valera when Luka ran over, jumping on his back. "Ah! JARVIS, intruders, intruders I'm being attacked," Stark playfully called out as the children pushed him to the floor, trying to tickle him. Looking up, he saw Natasha there and his smile faded. "Alright guys, let Uncle Tony sit up," he told them, sitting up. The kids looked over and saw their mother.

"Mommy!" they said excitedly.

Natasha got down on her knees, hugging her children tightly when they ran to her. "Where's dad? Is he still sleeping?" Luka asked. Feeling the tears well up in her eyes, she tried to keep them at bay as she pulled back, looking at her son, the near clone of her husband. "Mom, where's dad?" he asked.

"Let's go sit down little ones," She told her children.

Taking them by their hands, she led them over to the couch that was there and had them sit down. She sat across from them, letting out a deep breath. "What wong mommy?" Valera asked. Natasha swallowed hard.

"You know how mommy and daddy go out and fight the bad guys?" she asked.

They nodded their heads slowly and she saw the fear show in her son's eyes. "Your daddy…he passed away on this mission," she said lightly, "He was saving your mommy and your Uncle Steve." Luka jumped up off the couch.

"No!" he exclaimed, "No way!"

He started running towards the door. "Luka!" Natasha called out, standing up when Bruce grabbed the boy before he could react the elevator but the boy started hitting him.

"Let go! DAD! DAD WHERE ARE YOU?!" Luka shouted as Bruce picked the boy up, "DAD!"

"I'm so sorry buddy, I'm so sorry," Bruce told him, hugging his godson tight.

Natasha stared at her daughter, who was staring quizzically. "When daddy coming?" She asked. Natasha swallowed hard.

"Daddy's not going to be able to come home sweet angel," she whispered, pushing a curl from her daughter's eyes.

She saw the tears fall down her daughter's face and she picked her up. "I'm so sorry sweetheart," she whispered, hugging her close. Walking over to Bruce, she took her son into her free arm, hugging both of her children tightly as the three of them cried.

**(Paris, France: Outskirts)**

Clint woke up, his head was throbbing like crazy and he looked around. He didn't recognize where he was and suddenly, he felt a cool rag on his head. "Just take it easy, you're badly hurt," the person told him softly. Closing his eyes, he let out a deep breath as the person continued to move the rag along his face, cleaning blood and dirt off him. "What's your name?" she asked, "Do you know your name?"

"Clint…Clint Barton…" he said quietly.

The young woman nodded her head slowly. "Do you know what day it is?" she asked. Clint opened his eyes again.

"Tuesday…October 18th…1998," he replied.

Suddenly, the person stopped tending to his wounds. "Oh no…" she said quietly.

"What?" he asked, opening his eyes.

The first thing he saw were a pair of blue eyes staring at him. "It seems you were hit harder on the head than I thought," she replied. Sitting up, he groaned. "No, no, don't get up," she insisted.

"Well then how long have I been out? What's the real date then?" he asked.

The woman frowned at him. "It's 2018," she replied. He suddenly felt sick to his stomach, he couldn't tell if it was from the head injury or the shock that he was missing 20 years of his life. "Just calm down, everything's going to be okay," she assured him.

"Everything will be okay? I have no memory of my life for the last twenty years," he replied.

He pressed his hand to his forehead. "Where am I?" he asked.

"You're on the outskirts of Paris," she replied.

"Paris? Last I remember was being in Texas," he told her as he got out of bed.

"No wait…" the woman called as his legs gave out and he fell on the floor.

She knelt down in front of him. "You're badly injured, you're lucky to be alive," She told him.

"Really? Am I really that lucky?" he asked.

She helped him up and got him back on the bed. "What is your name?" he asked.

"Bobbi Morse," she replied as she had him prop his leg up, checking the injuries.

"You a doctor?" he asked.

"No, only some have medical background," she replied.

He started searching his pockets for any clue of the last sixteen years. "Anything that was your pockets is in that bowl," She told him, gesturing to the glass bowl by the bed. Pulling his leg away from her, he grabbed the bowl and dumped its contents out on the bed. There was some charred money and then a picture that was flipped upside down.

Picking the picture up, he turned it over. In the picture was a woman with long red curly hair that was down around her waist, emerald green eyes, she was leaning against a rail wearing black stiletto heels, a green spaghetti strapped dress, and a diamond clip was in her hair, holding her hair from her eyes. She was smiling at the camera, really posing for the picture. "Do you recognize her?" Bobbi asked as he stared at the picture.

"No…I wish I did…she's beautiful," he replied.

Clint stared at the picture, sitting back against the wall.


	4. Remembering what Was

Chapter 4-Remembering what Was

Natasha was asleep in her bed, she had the entire bed to herself, but yet she was tossing and turning in her sleep.

**_ She saw Clint, fighting the two men again. "CLINT!" she shouted. She ran to him, but the hall was endless, she couldn't reach him no matter how fast she ran. Suddenly, the building exploded, but yet the flames went around her._**

**_ Her eyes grew wide when she looked at Clint, he was burnt, almost unrecognizable. "You are a liar! You left me to die!" he snapped at her._**

Natasha sat up in her bed, gasping for air. Suddenly, she heard the door open and looked over to see her children there. "Mommy…" Valera said sniffling. Her children ran over to the bed, crawling up on it.

"Come here little ones," She whispered, hugging her children close.

Se kissed them both on the heads. "Mom, dad's not dead," Luka insisted. He looked at his mother, sitting up. "Dad said he would always come back," He answered. Natasha stroked the hair from her son's eyes.

"Just get some rest, sweetheart, we'll talk about it in the morning," she whispered.

Both of them curled up against their mother. She kissed them both on the head and stared at the ceiling, there was no possible way she was going to be able to go back to sleep after that nightmare.

Later that morning, she was sitting at the kitchen table with a coffee in her hands while here was an empty cup sitting beside her. Swallowing hard, she played with the ring around her finger when Steve came in, sitting on the other side of her. "I don't want to talk, Rogers, if that's what you're here to do," she told him.

"I just wanted to see if you were okay," he answered.

She let out a dark chuckle, putting her cup down. "My children are without their father and it's because I was dumb enough to leave him behind," She told him.

"Clint was trying to save us," Steve answered.

She looked over at the Captain as he stared at her. "Yeah, well, now my children are without their father and it's my fault," She told him.

"Natasha…" he started when she got up and left the kitchen.

Going outside, she stared out at the city of Manhattan. Letting out a sigh, she stared at the rings on her left hand. Something was tugging at her mind, it felt like something was completely off. She tapped her fingers on the rail when Luka sat by his mom. "Mom, dad's not dead," Luka told her.

"Why do you say that sweetheart?" she asked, pushing the hair from his eyes.

Luka kicked his feet back and forth. "Dad always said that if there was a chance of something going bad, he would take his real wallet with him," he replied, "So that way you can figure out if it's him, mom." Natasha stared at her son with wide eyes, remembering that she had found his wallet the other day in his pants.

"Of course…" She whispered.

She lifted her son up into her arms. "Of course!" she exclaimed, rushing inside.

Walking into her room, she set Luka down on the bed and she started going through Clint's things. "Mom?" He asked.

"One second baby," She told her son as she continued to dig through Clint's belongings.

Finding the wallet, she opened the billfold and found a piece of paper inside. Sitting down, she scanned the contents on the paper. "What is that mommy?" Luka asked.

"You my child are a genius," She replied.

Kissing his forehead, she left the room to go talk to the rest of the team. "Bruce," she called out. Bruce was sitting in the living room, going through some the test results he had when she came in.

"Natasha, what's going on?" he asked, standing up.

"I need you to run tests on the ring and the ID card we found," She told him.

Bruce stared at her quizzically. "Why?" he asked.

"I have reasons to believe they're fake," she replied.

He crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for her to continue. She held up Clint's wallet. "His wallet is the proof you have?" he asked.

"Clint would've brought this with him if he thought he wasn't going to come out of this mission alive," she answered.

"Natasha…" He said slowly.

She felt her heart drop a little in her chest. "This mission was supposed to be a simple one, no one expected this to happen," he answered, "None of us brought our ID's with us because we all believed we were going to come home."

"So…you don't think there's not a single strand of hope?" she asked.

"I saw the results of the DNA tests, Natasha. SHIELD even said the body we brought back was Clint's," he replied.

Bruce walked over, resting his hand on her shoulder. "Natasha, your children need you, especially with the funeral tomorrow," he told her.

"I'm not going and neither are they," She answered.

"Natasha…" Bruce started to say.

"My husband isn't dead," She snapped.

She walked away irritated, picking her son up and left StarkTower with her children.

Arriving home a little while later, the kids were fast asleep and she got them both in bed. As she sat there trying to do her own investigation, there was a knock on the door. Getting up, she walked over and answered the door, surprised to see Fury there. "Director Fury…" She said surprised.

"Agent Romanoff, I want to offer my condolences for your loss," He answered.

Natasha stood there stunned. "Dr. Banner called you…" she murmured.

"Our medical team has done extensive tests on the body brought to us, there is no reason to say that it isn't Agent Barton," he told her.

Natasha swallowed, now her boss was trying to tell her that her husband was dead. "Agent Barton's alive, I know it, Director," she answered.

"Agent Romanoff, I don't want you coming back to work for awhile. Until further notice, you are on mourning leave," he told her.

"I need to find my husband," She insisted.

"Your husband is dead," he answered.

He walked away, leaving Natasha stood there, her blood was suddenly boiling. "My husband's alive, and I'm going to prove it," she said angrily.

**(Paris)**

Clint's head was throbbing when he woke up again. "I have breakfast for you," Bobbi said smiling as she came in with a tray of food.

"Um thanks," he answered as he sat up in the bed.

Bobbi placed the tray in his lap. "I hope you like it," she said smiling. Clint gave her a slight nod and she started checking the injuries on his head and his leg. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Confused," he replied.

"I put some pain medicine into your juice," she told him when he finished off the glass.

"Thanks," He muttered.

He frowned, he still couldn't remember the woman in the picture, but yet he dreamt about her. Her smile, her laugh. It still ran in his ears like an echo. Letting out a deep breath he started poking at his food. "Did you want to try to see if you can stand today?" she asked.

"Sure," he replied.

She pulled the sheets off him and moved the breakfast tray off his lap. Clint let out a deep breath as he held onto the woman's arms. "Alright come on," she told him, helping him stand up. Clint winced when he felt the pain rush through his leg. "Just lean on me," She insisted.

"Not as easy as you're making it sound," He answered.

Letting out a deep breath, he leaned against her. "Let's try to get you into the bathroom," she murmured. He winced as he hobbled to the bathroom.

"Stop, wait," he told her.

He leaned against the wall, looking at the injured leg he was trying to stand on. "I have the tub ready, all you need to do is get in," she told him, helping him into the bathroom.

"I can do the rest myself, thanks," He told her, leaning against the edge of the tub.

"I need to make sure that leg is properly cleaned, just trust me," she answered.

Clint stared at her, not liking this at all. "You have a lot of severe injuries, you've been in and out of consciousness for the last week, you need these to be properly taken care of," she told him. Sighing, he saw her point and got his clothes off before getting into the tub.

Bobbi cleaned out the injuries on his leg and his back. She was cleaning the injuries on his back when she saw his back littered in small scars. Reaching out, she rested her hand over one and Clint lifted his head suddenly.

**_ He was on the top of a building, fighting some sort of weird creature. He pulled out an arrow, firing it between the creature's eyes. Spinning around, he went to fire another arrow into the creature behind him when he realized he was out of arrows._** **_Taking his bow, he hit the creature in the face with it, punching it in the stomach, and then kicked it off the building._**

**_ Turning around, he looked up to see a bunch of these creatures flying toward him. Grabbing the arrow he had fired earlier from the now dead creature, he put it back in his quiver and hit a button on his bow. Looking over his shoulder, just as the creatures were firing at him, he ran and jumped from the 1,000 foot building. He fired his arrow and claws emerged from the front of arrow, attaching itself to the wall._**

**_ Rope came from the front of his bow. Holding on, he swung into a plate glass window and the rope snapped, sending him rolling across the floor. He felt the glass pierce his skin and groaned loudly in pain. He lied there on the floor for what felt like hours. "Barton! Barton!" he heard the woman's voice call through his earpiece, "Dammit, Barton answer me!" He slowly moved up onto his feet._**

**_"I'm here, Nat," he answered._**

**_"Where are you?" she asked._**

**_"I'm across the city," He replied._**

**_"I'm coming."_**

**_ He limped his way down the stairs. Once he was outside, the woman in the picture hurried over to him. Before he had time to react, she hugged him tightly. "Scare me like that again, Barton and I'll kill you," She told him._**

**_"Got it," he answered, hugging her back._**

Clint opened his eyes and realized that Bobbi was staring at him. "Sorry…was remembering something…I think," he told her.

"Want to talk about it?" she asked.

He shook his head slowly. "Come on, your injuries at cleaned, I need to get that burn wrapped up though," she told him. Clint grabbed the towel and pulled the shower curtain closed and stood up, leaning against the wall as he wrapped the towel around his waist. She helped him out and got him to sit down so she could put a bandage on the burn that was from his knee to his ankle. "It'll be a slight scar, it's only a second degree burn you're lucky," she told him.

"You keep saying I'm lucky, but I don't feel lucky," he answered as he had her leave so he could get dressed.

She came back with crutches for him. "Here you are," she told him.

"Thanks," he answered.

"You need to walk around a little, stretch your legs and to keep blood clots from forming," she told him.

"Are you sure you're not a doctor?" he asked.

"I just have medical training background," she replied.

Letting out a deep breath, he started to make his way through the house, but he couldn't help but wonder who this woman was, why did he have her picture, and what did he do as a job?


	5. Needing Proof

Chapter 5: Needing Proof

Another month went by without any sign of Clint being alive, but yet Natasha refused to give up. She took care of her children while she searched for her husband.

One morning, Natasha woke up, her stomach was doing so many flips she could've sworn there was a gymnast doing flips in her stomach. She tried to ignore the nausea, but the longer she tried to ignore it the worse it got. Getting up, she went into the bathroom and got sick.

Coming into the apartment, Steve looked around. "Natasha?" he called out. He stopped when he heard the Agent retching in the bathroom.

"Go away, Rogers," she answered.

Walking over, he stood by the bathroom door. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm just puking for the hell of it," She replied, holding her stomach.

Getting up, she flushed the toilet and washed the taste from her mouth. "Where are the kids?" he asked.

"They wanted to stay with Stark," she replied.

She brushed her teeth before washing her face. "What do you want? Here to try to drag me to another therapy session?" she asked. For the last few weeks, they were trying to get her to see the on base therapist about her obsession to finding Clint.

"Fury asked me to ask you to come to this one," he answered.

"Such a good little soldier," she sneered.

She held her stomach, letting out a deep breath. "Or I should at least take you to a doctor," he commented.

"I don't need a doctor," she  
answered.

"There could be something seriously wrong," he told her.

Natasha waved her hand as she sat down on the couch. "I've been through this before I know what's going on," she answered.

"What do you mean?" Steve asked.

"Do I have to spell it out? Clint got me pregnant," she told him as she tilted her head back.

Steve's eyes grew wide at how nonchalant she was about it. "But…I thought…" he started.

"Let's put it this way, Rogers. I conceived Luka after the fight in Manhattan. I conceived Valera after our mission in Norway," she replied, "I conceived this one during our last mission."

"You had sex during the last mission?" Steve asked.

Natasha looked at him. "What do you think we did in our room, Rogers? Play scrabble?" she asked.

"I just…" He stuttered out, his face flushing.

Shaking her head slowly, she got up from the couch and went into the kitchen. "I always seem to get pregnant when we're on missions, can't get pregnant like the average couple," she commented as she got a drink from the fridge. She rested her hand on her stomach and her heart sank a little. Swallowing hard, she suddenly realized that this baby could be born before she found Clint. Never did he miss a moment with her pregnancies, he was there for every ultrasound, every kick, every little movement. He had an iPod with music he recorded that he would put on her stomach which would relax each baby long enough for her to get some sleep during the night.

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she refused to cry. Letting out a deep breath she sat down and started going through her investigation all over again, ignoring the man in her living room for the rest of the day.

**(Paris)**

Clint was able to walk around the house, but the longer he stayed there, the more uncomfortable he had become. He had to remember where he was from, he had to remember this girl in his picture, it was driving him crazy.

Walking outside one day, he saw Bobbi trying to get her car started. "Need some help?" he asked.

"Yeah, that would be great," she replied, getting out.

He motioned for her to pop the hood and looked underneath. "Your alternator's shot," He told her.

"Seriously?" she asked, sighing.

"Yeah," he replied.

"Dammit," she muttered, "I don't have the money for another one."

Getting out of the car, she stood beside him. "I can fix it," He told her, "It'll just take me a little while."

"Really? That would be awesome," she commented.

"Not a problem," he answered.

Spending his afternoon fixing the car, he didn't realize the blond was watching him. Yeah, this woman was beautiful, but he didn't find any sort of attraction to her. All he could do was think about the mystery girl in his picture.

As he took a break, he looked at the picture of the woman. He ran his thumb along the edge of the picture, letting out a deep breath. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes as he started to drift off.

**_ Opening his eyes, he found himself in a small quaint apartment. He saw the girl sitting on the couch in front of a fireplace. She was obviously starting to drift off. Walking over, he climbed over the back of the couch and sat beside her. She sat up and smiled softly at him. "Hey," he said smiling._**

**_"Hi," she answered._**

**_ He wrapped his arm around her shoulders pulling her to him. Looking to his left, he saw the small Christmas tree that sat on the little table in the corner. He looked at the girl, stroking her cheek lightly. "Merry Christmas, Nat," He told her._**

**_"You know I don't celebrate Christmas," she answered._**

**_ He rolled his eyes at her before getting up from the couch. Walking over to the tree, he pulled the red table cloth they had underneath it up and grabbed a small box he had underneath the table. Walking back over to her, he sat beside her. "I didn't get you anything," she told him._**

**_"You agreed to marry me, that's enough," He answered._**

**_ She stared at him before opening the box. Inside was a white gold band with an princess cut emerald and two solitaire diamonds on the sides. "Clint..." she said surprised. He took the ring from the box and slipped it onto her finger._**

**_"It's official," he said smiling._**

**_ Looking up at him, she rested her hand on his cheek before he leaned forward and gave her a light kiss. She kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck as he moved her down onto the couch._**

Clint opened his eyes and felt his heart racing in his chest. No wonder why he had her picture with him, they were engaged. "Clint?" Bobbi called out. Standing up, he put the picture back into his pants pocket.

"Should be running good as new now," he answered.

"Great," she said smiling.

She kissed his cheek, and Clint felt a disturbing chill go down his spine. "Remember to take your medicine," she told him.

"Yes, doctor," he answered.

She gave him a small smile, resting her hand on his arm for a second before going over to her car and driving off once it started up again. Clint waved to her before going back into the house.

Sitting down on the bed, he stared at the picture in his hands again. This girl was his fiancé, it made total sense just that memory alone made his heart race in his chest. Now, all he needed was to remember her name. It drove him crazy that all he had was a partial name. Lying back on the bed, he looked at the glass of water and two painkillers sitting on the nightstand by his bed. Sitting up, he took the pills and water, popping them into his mouth and drank the water.

No sooner than after he took the pills, his head started to swim and exhaustion started to take over. He lied back on the bed as his eyelids grew heavy. "Nat…" he said quietly as sleep claimed him.


	6. Someone who Believes

Chapter 6: Someone who Believes

Natasha sighed as she pulled her short red hair back in a small ponytail, lying back on the examining table in Stark's lab. "Alright, this is my first ultrasound in here so this should be interesting," Stark commented as he walked over.

"I'd rather you do it than go on the Helicarrier and have them do it while trying to bring a shrink in," she answered.

Stark nodded his head slowly. "Shirt up please," he told her. She did as he asked and he let out a deep breath. "Alright, I'm going to need to touch you so don't break my hands," he added.

"Stark, the only reason I would break your hands would be if your hands wandered up from the stomach area," she answered.

"Then I wont let my hands wander," he told her.

Natasha lied back and let out a sigh. "Have you been taking the nausea medicine that JARVIS and I had created for you?" he asked.

"Yeah, works great," she replied.

"Shouldn't hurt the little hawk in there," he told her.

Natasha rolled her eyes as Stark had the screen appear next to them. "JARVIS, could you turn it more 3-D looking? More lifelike?" he asked.

"Certainly," JARVIS replied.

The agent's eyes grew wide. "Wow…" she whispered. The doctors on the helicarrier never gave them this option when she was pregnant with the other two.

"You can almost reach out and touch her," Stark commented.

Natasha swallowed, staring at her unborn child. "It's a girl?" she asked.

"Yep," he replied.

Staring at the picture of her child, she felt her heart break, Clint always talked about having another baby, but they always thought the two they had were all they were going to have. She frowned, clearing her throat. "She looks healthy," Stark stated.

"Good," she answered, sighing.

Stark gave her a small smile as he printed off a copy for her. "Thank you," She murmured.

"I have a question for you, Natasha," Stark told her.

"I'm not crazy," she answered as she sat up.

"Don't assume what I'm going to ask, please," Stark told her.

Nodding her head slowly, she sat up more on the examining table. "Do you have any sort of proof that Clint's alive?" he asked.

"Just the fact his wallet's here, and the fact I know my husband better than you guys know him," She replied.

Stark nodded his head slowly. "I've known this man since I was sixteen, Stark. He's the only man I've ever trusted my life," she added

"Well it just so happens, I believe you," He answered, shocking her.

"You believe me?" she asked.

Stark again nodded and he took out a box, handing it to her. Opening the box, she saw three things, Clint's ID, his wedding ring, and a little microchip. "I had JARVIS run some tests on these," he told her.

"And?" she asked.

"Your regular ID's are made of plastic with a fireproof laminate, it shouldn't have practically incinerate like it did. This is just paper and regular laminate," he told her as he showed her the ID badge.

Natasha stared at the ID badge, letting out a shaky breath. "This, I know for a fact that yours and Clint's wedding rings are made of titanium for the same purposes," He told her. Her heart was now racing in her chest as he held up the ring that was in the box. "This ring is made of regular white gold, hence why it looks like it just got thrown into a lava pit," he added.

"What's the microchip?" she asked.

"Ah ha, here's the fun part," He replied, "We all forgot about that little camera that was on Barton's jacket."

He waved his hands around and a huge screen appeared in front of both of them. "Alright, JARVIS, could you play the clip of our mission four months ago?" he asked.

"Certainly," JARVIS replied.

The billionaire crossed his arms over his chest, watching as Natasha was watching the screen in front of her. It showed Clint fighting in the hall, the bomb was suddenly going crazy as time was running out. She saw another man run into the hall and Clint punch him in the face. She saw him reach the exit of the building as there was a huge explosion, knocking him off his feet and threw him to the ground. The lense on the camera was cracked, but it was still working, at least they could see everything but they couldn't hear anything. They saw boots walk up to him and yank him to his feet before the jacket was ripped off him and thrown to the ground and the last thing the camera caught were two men dragging an unconscious Clint across the field before it went black from the damage it went through.

JARVIS turned off the footage and Stark looked at the SHIELD Agent. "He's alive," she whispered. He saw her green eyes light up. "I knew it! I knew it!" she exclaimed as she got off the examining table. She suddenly surprised Stark, hugging him tightly. "Thank you," she told him, "Thank you, thank you."

"What happens now? We go to Fury with this?" Stark asked.

Natasha shook her head slowly. "No, no offense, Stark, but they still have a hard time trusting you with the fact you can manipulate anything to go your way," She answered.

"True, so what do we do?" Stark asked.

Natasha kept her hands on her stomach, looking at where the screen was. "We find Clint on our own," She replied.

**(Paris)**

Clint was roaming around Bobbi's house, trying to find anything that was important. As he searched through his things, he found the shirt that Bobbi said she found him in. He sat on the bed, holding the burnt shirt in his hand. He saw that the sleeve was torn and the buttons were torn off.

As he sat on the bed staring at it, his head started to throb.

**_ He looked over at Nat and a man behind her. "ROGERS! GET HER OUT!" he shouted. He could hear her screaming at the man to let her go as he went to stop the bomb. He looked up as three men threw him to the floor, but he was able to roll back up to his feet. Grabbing the discarded gun, he fired several shots but they all fired back._**

**_ Realizing a third person was in there with him, he knew he was surrounded. "Shit," he muttered. He looked at the timer on the bomb, 20 seconds. He got up and ran through the tunnel of the secret passageway._**

**_ As soon as he made it outside, he was thrown off his feet and he hit the ground hard. Rolling onto his back, he stared at the sky for a second, his world spun. He felt sick. "Nat?" he called out weakly, his entire body ached from the explosion, "NATASHA!"_**

**_ Suddenly, just as he got to his feet, he felt someone punch him in the back of the head and someone else grabbed his arm before he could hit the ground. They ripped his burnt jacket off him and dragged him to a waiting van. They were speaking rapidly, it wasn't German or French. No…wait…it was Russian. Russian, why Russian? What was going on? _**

**_ Suddenly he was on the floor of the van, men were talking rapidly and angrily, his vision was blurred so he couldn't see their faces. He could hear them bickering, but his head was swimming so he couldn't understand what it was. He suddenly felt something stick into his arm, making him hiss in pain. Suddenly, his hearing cleared up that he could understand one thing someone said in the van, "Wir werden ihn töten." We will kill him…that's all he caught. Suddenly reaching out, he punched one man in the face while kicking the other in the stomach._**

**_ He got to his feet and opened the van door. He could hear the driver shouting at the two men to grab him, but he already jumped from the van and was rolling across the ground. As he lied there on the ground, his head was throbbing even more. He could hear the van squeal to a stop, forcing him to get up and run._**

**_ He ran for what felt like hours, until finally exhaustion took over him and he collapsed to his knees. "Natasha…" he whispered before he fell to the ground and unconsciousness took over him._**

Clint opened his eyes, staring at the shirt in his hand. Suddenly, he heard the sound of someone moving around outside. All of a sudden, he heard a crash outside his window. Sitting up, he went to check it out when someone grabbed his arm, dragging him out of his bed. Putting his weight into his arm, he threw the attacker over his shoulder when another grabbed him from behind. Letting out a shout, he ran backwards, slamming his attacker back into the wall. Jumping up, he kicked his second attacker in the stomach, sending him to the floor before elbowing the attack who had him from behind in the stomach.

Rolling across the floor, he grabbed the gun that had fallen on the floor, firing several shots. The attackers fired their own guns at him. Seeing the window, he ran to him and jumped through it. Once he was outside, he was surrounded. He went to fire more shots when he realized his clip was empty. Throwing the gun aside, he kicked one in the chest, punched another one in the face before he went to do a back kick to the guy behind him. The one behind him grabbed his leg, sending him to the ground.

Hitting the ground, Clint got his foot free, kicking his opponent in the stomach. He heard someone start shouting in Russian as several more men grabbed him and pinned him to the ground. As he struggled to get them off, he suddenly felt a needle sink into the side of his neck. He heard laughter above his head but then everything faded to black.


	7. When the Torture Begins

Chapter 7: When the Torture Begins

Natasha walked out of Stark's lab with some papers in her hand. Climbing the stairs, she saw her six-year-old and two-year-old playing in their playroom. She leaned against the doorframe, watching them both with a small smile. "Mama, look," Luka called out. He ran over to his mother with his bow in his hand.

"What are you doing?" she asked smiling.

"I'm daddy!" he answered.

She laughed as he put on the oversized sunglasses over his face and got into fighting stance Clint always had. "Yes, you are," she said smiling.

"I'm going to find daddy," Luka answered, "And I'm gonna bring him home!"

"Then you are the bravest Avenger around," She told her son, making him smile proudly.

"Lady Natasha," a voice boomed, forcing the three of them to look up.

Natasha saw her son's eyes light up when he had removed the sunglasses. "Thor!" He exclaimed as he ran out of the playroom and over to the new arrival to StarkTower.

"Thow! Thow!" Valera said excitedly as she got up and she toddled her way over to the demigod.

"Warrior Luka, Lady Valera, you two are growing more every time I see you," Thor said smiling, embracing the children when they reached him.

"How is Jane?" Natasha asked as she walked over.

"She is well, as well as our son," he replied.

Natasha smiled, hugging him. "Congratulations," she told him. Thor hugged her back with a smile, careful not to hurt the pregnant woman. "What is his name?" she asked.

"I thought we would call him Odin after father, but Jane wanted to name him Samuel after her father. So we compromised Samuel Odin Thorson," he replied.

"Strong name," she commented.

"I hear you are searching for Warrior Barton," Thor stated.

"Yes, everyone believes he's dead except for Stark and me," She answered.

"Impossible! Barton is one of the swiftest and most intelligent fighters I have ever seen," Thor told her.

Natasha couldn't help but feel relieved that someone else believed he was alive as well. "And you are with child again I see, congratulations are in order for you as well," Thor added. The former assassin smiled a little, resting her hand on her stomach. "Barton will be happy once we bring him home," he told her.

"If we find him before the baby's born," she answered as they went to Stark's lab.

"We will find him, it'll just take a little bit of time because the trackers that are on your guys' boots for our missions was removed," Stark told her as he was going through the computers.

"Natasha, are there any other enemies we are unaware of?" Thor asked as he sat down.

Natasha scoffed. "Thor, Clint and I were assassins, we make more enemies than friends in this world," she answered as she sat down.

"What is our plan?" Thor asked.

"We need to find Clint first before we can even figure out a plan," She answered.

She moved her hand over her stomach, letting out a deep breath. "Are you sure you're going to want to walk right in the middle of a fight while pregnant?" Stark asked.

"That's my prerogative, Stark, I'm not going to have you tell me what I should and shouldn't do," She answered.

Getting up from her seat, she walked over to the computer screen that had Clint's picture up, next to that were clips of all the missions he had been on, and underneath both of those was a map, trying to find him. "Clint…where are you?" she asked softly.

**(Wherever Clint Was)**

Clint came to when someone dumped a bucket of ice water over his head. Waking up and coughing, he looked around. He went to move, but he realized his arms and legs were tied to a chair. "Welcome, Agent Barton," a voice sneered.

Clint looked around the room, it was dark except for one dim light in the corner of the room. "Where am I?" he demanded.

"Let's just say it's a little facility we had set up for you," the person answered.

Clint's eyes tried to adjust to the darkness, but it was next to impossible. "You won't remember me, so don't try to, but you do know my little apprentice that you took away," the person sneered as he walked around the chair.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Clint replied.

"You took my most prized possession, my best assassin," the person snapped.

Grabbing the hair on the back of Clint's head, the man yanked his head back. "I should kill you for your interference," He snapped.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Clint answered angrily.

"You'll remember…eventually," his kidnapper sneered.

Suddenly, a man walked in with some sort of object in his hand. The leader who still had a hold of Clint's head pulled out a knife and cut open the shirt Clint had on. "He's still wet from his little wakeup call, enjoy," the man sneered. Clint's eyes grew wide when the man turned the object on and saw bolts of electricity shoot out from it.

"Wait, wait, you have to have the wrong guy, I didn't do anything," he insisted.

"Your name is Clinton Francis Barton correct?" the man asked.

"Yes," Clint replied.

"Born on August 2nd, 1980?" the man asked.

"Yes," Clint replied, swallowing hard.

He struggled against the binds on his wrists. "Son of Annette and Barney Sr. Barton?" the man asked.

"Yes," Clint answered trying to back the chair up from the taser that was coming closer to him.

"Brother of Barney Barton Jr.?" the man asked.

"Yes, how do you know this about me?" Clint demanded.

"We know all about you Clint Barton," the leader answered.

He nodded to the man with the taser who walked over to Clint, pressing the weapon into the man's stomach. The leader smirked as Clint let out a shout of pain, trying his hardest to escape his prison. "This is what you get for stealing what's mine," he snapped.

"I didn't do anything!" Clint answered, "You have the wrong guy!"

The man pulled the taser away and Clint struggled harder. "You might have my information right but I swear I didn't do anything!" He insisted.

"You'll remember," the leader answered.

"Who are you?" Clint demanded.

"Since you'll be dead soon, I'll just tell you. I'm Ivan," he answered.

Clint let out a shaky breath as the pain rushed through him. "Dammit," he muttered. He tugged harder on the ropes around his wrists as the man held the taser back up to his stomach. "What do you want?!" he demanded.

"Your head on a platter," Ivan answered as he took out a cigar.

"Then just take it," Clint told him.

"No, that would be too easy," Ivan told him as he took his cigar, dragging the tip over Clint's chest.

Clint hissed in pain as he felt the burn run across his chest like a hundred bees stinging him. "Alright, tasing won't seem to work, plan B," Ivan stated. Suddenly, the ropes were cut from his wrists, but before he could do anything he felt a knife press up against his throat.

"One wrong move and you'll be breathing through the hole in your throat," the man snapped.

Clint closed his eyes as the led him through the room. "We need his memory back in order for this to work," Ivan stated.

"How are we going to do that?" the henchman asked.

"Just come on," Ivan snapped.

Clint groaned as he was thrown into another room, his head connected to the wall. The henchman walked over and grabbed him by his arm, pulling him to his feet. "No, no, wait," Clint insisted. Before he had time to react, three other men grabbed him and shoved him head first into a tub of ice water.

Feeling the air leave his lungs, he struggled to resurface, but they kept him submerged. As he waited death, he saw her face. Nat…wait…was it Nat or Natasha? Whatever her name was, her face flashed before his eyes as darkness started to claim him.

**_ They were in the midst of a huge battle it seemed like. She was firing her newly loaded guns at the enemy charging at them. "Nat! I have something to ask you!" he called out as he fired another arrow._**

**_"Can't it wait?" she asked._**

**_ Seeing a grenade landed nearby, Clint grabbed her and protected her from the blast. "Marry me, Natasha," he told her._**

**_"Seriously? You're asking me this now?" she asked._**

**_ Clint got off her, grabbing another arrow and firing it at the enemy. "What better way to propose?" he asked with a smirk, "Would you rather me go down on one knee?" He heard her laughing, making him smirk._**

**_"As long as you can stand spending the rest of your life with me," she answered._**

**_"I think you're stuck with me, Nat," He told her._**

Suddenly, Clint was pulled from the tub and he gasped for air, his body was shivering from below freezing temperature of the water. He coughed water up from his lungs, spitting it out. "Remembering now?" Ivan sneered.

"I did nothing wrong," Clint answered.

"I'll take that as a 'no'," Ivan told him.

He nodded to the men who grabbed Clint's arms, shoving him back under the water again. Clint struggled harder, but with the icy temperature his whole body was starting to go numb. "_This is just like Budapest all over again!_" her voice rang in his head.

"_You and I remember Budapest __**very**__ differently_," his voice echoed in his head.

**_Clint walked into their room, seeing her dressed in her usual disguise to seduce their target. "I don't like this, Nat," he told her._**

**_"Just trust me," she answered._**

**_"I do trust you, it's them I don't trust," He told her. _**

**_ She shook her head slowly, moving her hands up his chest when he reached between them and grasped the ring that hung from her neck. "Well, you know I don't let them get any further than the kiss," she added._**

**_"Better not," he answered, making her laugh._**

**_ She leaned forward, kissing him deeply. Clint kissed her back and held her close to him, when her fingers traced over the titanium ring on his left hand._**

The henchmen yanked him out of the water so fast he fell out of the tub and his head collided to the concrete floor. He coughed up even more water, desperately trying to catch his breath. "Natasha…" he groaned out.

"Ah! Now we're getting somewhere," Ivan sneered.

Clint struggled to his feet when he was kicked in the ribs, sending him onto his back. "You destroyed my prized possession!" he snapped.

"Natasha isn't an object, she's a woman," Clint answered.

"She is now, a good looking woman now that she's more mature. I would've been able to enjoy her more if you didn't take her like you had!" Ivan snapped.

"Keep your hands off my wife!" Clint snapped back as he tried to get back up.

Ivan just smirked. "It kills you to know that she was mine first," he hissed into the man's ear. Clint's heart raced in his chest. "It kills you to know that you got my sloppy seconds, that she came to me every. Single. Night," Ivan taunted.

"She never came to you," Clint answered, lifting his head, "You dragged her to your room."

Standing up on shaky legs, Clint braced himself against the wall while Ivan laughed at him. "You attacked an innocent young girl to get her to do what you wanted!" he snapped. The evil man continued to laugh until Clint swung out, punching him in the face. Ivan wiped the blood from his lip, and just when Clint thought he would hit him back, he felt the same taser hit him in the back. Clint hit the floor, screaming in pain, making Ivan laugh hysterically.

"Get him out of here," Ivan told him, "He's had enough for the day."

Clint groaned as he tried to fight the henchmen as they started dragging him across the floor, but his body was so weak he wasn't able to.


	8. Had Enough

Chapter 7: Had Enough

Clint was trying to get his bearings together. He looked up to see a guard standing by the door. He tugged on the ropes around his wrists. "Hey, can't a guy at least go to the bathroom around here?" he asked.

"Shut up," the guard snapped.

"Is this part of the torture?" Clint asked.

The man walked over to the tied up man, glaring down at him. "I said shut up!" he snapped, punching Clint in the stomach. Gasping for air, Clint groaned loudly as nausea rushed through him. What the guard didn't know, was this was Clint's plan all along. He had slipped the man's knife from his pants as he doubled over in pain. As the guard walked back to his post, the captured man was grateful for the dark room.

Once he got his breath back, he flipped the knife open and started cutting into the rope on his wrist. When he felt the rope give away, he pulled his wrist out of the knot it was in and with his know free hand he was able to reach down and cut the rope on his left ankle while he listened to the now two guards at his door, joking around about the fact they had their target held prisoner.

Getting himself free, Clint took the knife and snuck up behind one guard. He covered his mouth as he slid the blade across his throat and then he took the second guard, snapping his neck as he went to call for help. Grabbing the machine guns from one of them, he took off down the hall. "ЕГО ИЗБЕГАЮТ!" Guards shouted. (HE'S ESCAPED!) Suddenly the alarms started blaring. Lifting his gun, Clint fired several shots, but because this was a gun and not his bow he just injured them both.

"Shit," He muttered.

He ran down the hall, trying to find his way to some sort of communications room. Then it hit him, even though he remembered Natasha's name, he remembered she was his wife, and remembered that Ivan tortured her as she grew up, he had no idea how to get a hold of her.

As he ran around a corner, he felt something pierce his back and the familiar, yet painful feeling of electricity shot through his body, sending him sprawling across the floor. "It pays to have a dark compound," Ivan commented with a glare as he came out of the shadows. Clint groaned as the effects of the taser ripped through him. "Well, seems I underestimated you, but at least your horrible memory is still on my side," he sneered, kicking Clint in the side. He nodded to his men who then grabbed their hostage by his arms, dragging him back to his room.

As they chained him to the chair, Clint had his head lowered, trying to ignore the throbbing in his head. "I'm surprised in you, Clint, thought you had more dignity than that," Ivan commented. The man didn't answer, he just tugged on the chains around his wrists. "Sorry for the chains, but you proved you couldn't behave with ropes," the man sneered.

"You have to beat a man while he's down," Clint answered.

Ivan just glared at the man in front of him. "Again, you took my assassin, I'm going to make your life a living hell," he stated.

"Natasha is not some prize to be won, even if you kill me, I'm pretty sure she'll come here just to kill you," Clint answered.

The man laughed like a hyena, making Clint's stomach flip. "My dear boy, do you truly think we have no idea what your precious Natasha has been up to all these years?" he asked. Clint stared at him. "Oh right, you only remember that Natasha is your wife, well boys, shall we remind our friend here of what else we know?" he asked. Clint's eyes grew wide when he saw a syringe in the man's hand. "This'll sting," Ivan stated. One of the men gripped Clint's head, pulling it to the side to expose his neck. Ivan let the needle sink into his skin and then injected whatever was in the needle into his neck.

Almost immediately, Clint felt very lethargic, his vision blurring. "Come on," Ivan told the men. They got the chains off his wrists and dragged him over to the tub of water. Before he could do anything, he was dunked under the freezing water again. As he was struggling to reach the surface to breathe, Natasha's face appeared in his mind.

**_ Clint was in their adjoining hotel room, he was getting ready for bed when he heard the door to his room open. Turning around, he saw Natasha standing there in a black tank top and boy short underwear. "Nat?" he said quizzically, usually she never came into his room. She just smiled at him, standing in front of him._**

**_"Do you find me attractive now?" she asked._**

**_ Smiling, he reached up, resting his hand on her cheek. "Now that you're not a robotic sixteen-year-old," he answered. Leaning forward, he pressed his lips to hers. He could feel her kissing him back as her hand moved to the back of his neck. It didn't take long for the kiss to become deep and heavy. He lifted her up and moved her up against the wall._**

Clint was yanked out of the water and he gasped for air. "Natasha's going to return to me, Barton," Ivan told him as he walked around the tub.

"Natasha's n—not an i—idiot," Clint answered, shivering.

"No, but your children are easily manipulated," Ivan replied.

Before he could say anything, hew was shoved under the water again and he struggled to the surface.

**_ Clint stood in the infirmary room, smiling brightly as a nurse bought the infant to Natasha. For the first time, he saw tears in her eyes. "I have a son…" She whispered with tears in her eyes. She held him close, kissing his tiny forehead softly. "I have a son," She repeated, her voice shaking._**

**_ Clint sat on the edge of the bed, holding his wife and his son close, holding his tiny hand between his thumb and index finger. "Clint, you're a dad," She said smiling as she placed the baby into his arms. He was still in disbelief as he held the now quiet baby in his arms._**

**_"I'm a dad…" he whispered._**

**_ He never thought this day would come, they thought with the serum in Natasha's system that they were never going to become parents. Natasha reached up, resting her hand on the back of his neck as they both looked at the baby in his arms. "Luka…" he whispered to the sleeping child with a smile._**

**(Flash)**

**_ They were flying the Quinjet back to base when Natasha let out a small scream of pain. "Dammit, Natasha, how come you didn't tell me you were further along?!" he exclaimed as he had the co-pilot take the helm so he could rush back by his wife._**

**_"I thought we had more time!" she snapped at him, breathing through her contractions._**

**_"Shit, you're ready to push, I can see the top of the head," he answered._**

**_ Natasha gripped the bench she was sitting on, groaning loudly in pain as she started pushing. After a few minutes of pushing, Clint was holding the now squalling baby in his arms. "It's a girl," he told her, smiling. He couldn't believe it, he was a father again to a gorgeous baby girl._**

**_"Valera…" he heard Natasha say as he pulled off his jacket to wrap his daughter up._**

**_"What?" he asked._**

**_"I want to name her Valera, after my mom," she replied._**

**_ Clint smiled, nodding his head slowly as he had her lie down to try to rest as they were coming up on the Helicarrier. "Valera," He agreed, kissing her forehead. He placed the baby into her arms and they smiled at her as she stopped screaming, and calmed down on her mother's chest._**

When Clint was pulled out of the water this time, he felt anger rush through his system instead of the desperate need to breath. Jumping up, he kicked the men in the stomachs, forcing them to let go. Rolling out of the tub he grabbed the discarded taser that was lying on the floor. Lifting it up, he fired it at Ivan who screamed in pain. He kicked another one of his guards in the face before running out of him. "AFTER HIM YOU FOOLS!" he heard Ivan shout.

Clint ran down the stairs, slipping from being soaked to the bone. The alarms were beginning to blare again as he tried to find a way out. Grabbing one of the guards, he was able to grab his knife and stabbed him in the stomach. Once the man fell over dead, Clint quickly pulled on the guard's clothes. He had to get out, he had to get home.

Running through the halls, he saw one of the prisoner cells, forcing him to stop. Looking into the cell, he saw that it was Bobbi. "Bobbi!" he exclaimed. She lifted her head up as he grabbed his keys and tried to get the door open.

"Clint, go without me!" Bobbi insisted as she stood up.

It was obvious the men had tortured her as well, but in other ways that made Clint wince and nearly gag at the thought. He got the door open and he yanked a guard inside, breaking his neck. "Put his clothes on, hurry," He told her as she stood there with wide eyes.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I'll explain what I can later, let's just go, they're coming," he insisted.

She quickly pulled on the man's clothes before Clint grabbed her arm and they ran down the halls towards the exit of the building. "Go, Bobbi, go!" He told her as they heard men running behind them.

"GET THEM!" they heard Ivan shout.

Clint grabbed her hand when she went to go the opposite way. "No, no, this way," He told her. She shrieked as the sounds of gunfire appeared behind them. They reached a door and Clint grabbed the key card from his pocket, swiping it through just as he felt the burning sensation of a bullet hitting him.

"Clint!" Bobbi gasped, grabbing his arms as he nearly crumpled to the ground.

She helped him up, having him lean on her as they escaped the compound and into the falling snow. "Come on, just keep running," She insisted.

"I'm keeping up," he answered, holding his side.

Ivan watched as the two of them disappeared into the forest and saw that his sniper went to take the shot at both of them, but he pushed the gun down. "Позвольте им идти, они столь же хороши как мертвый уже," he stated with an evil smirk. (Let them go, they are as good as dead already)


	9. Almost Remembering

Chapter 8: Almost Remembering

Clint and Bobbi ran for what felt like hours before they finally stopped. "We're going to need to find some shelter," he told her, "I have enough bullets to be able to hunt food until we find a village of some sort." Bobbi stared at him.

"Who the hell are you?" she demanded, "Who were they and what did they want?!"

Clint held his bleeding side, standing up to get branches to start a fire. "My name is Clint Barton, from what I remember I am an agent for SHIELD," he replied. Bobbi saw the blood seeping through his hand and got up.

"Sit down," she told him.

She pulled him over to a nearby cave and had him sit down. She built the fire and walked back over to him. "Jacket, shirt off," she told him. Clint removed the jacket and shirt and she looked at the wound in his side. "It looks like a clean shot," she murmured.

"That's good at least," he replied.

She got up and brought back water to clean the wound out. Once she was done, she used whatever was left of her torn shirt, using that as a tourniquet before using the other shirt she took from the guard as her permanent shirt now. "You're a SHIELD Agent?" she asked.

"Yeah," he replied, "After my brother abandoned me because I refused to follow a crime, I was on my own for awhile."

He pulled his shirt and jacket back on. "So…you became someone who hunts the bad guys," she murmured.

"Yeah," he replied.

He sat back, letting out a deep breath as he rested his hand on his side. "I'm going to get us some food," he told her. She watched as he got up and went out into the snow.

He came back later with food and after he cooked it over the fire, they ate in silence. "You've done this a few times before haven't you?" she asked.

"Sometimes I wasn't forced to hide in the wilderness," he replied, "Just the difference is I'd have a cabin to hide in."

Bobbi nodded her head slowly, understanding what he was saying.

When he realized he was being watched, Clint looked at Bobbi. She sat up on her knees and pressed her lips to his. Pulling away, he moved back. "Um…" he said slowly, clearing his throat.

"What?" she asked.

"There's more than I remember…Bobbi, and it's about the girl in my picture," he replied.

Bobbi stared at him. "What about her?" she asked. Clint let out a deep breath as he rubbed his hands together.

"She's my wife," he replied.

Bobbi's face flushed, sitting back as she pulled her hair over her shoulder. "How…awkward…" she murmured. Clint rubbed the back of his neck as he sat back against the wall. "So…you're married…" she said slowly.

"Yeah," he replied.

Bobbi's face flushed and she pulled her knees up to her chest. "What's her name?" she asked.

"Natasha…" he replied.

"Any children?" she asked.

He nodded his head slowly. "A son and a daughter," he replied.

"I'm sure they're beautiful," She said softly.

"They are," He answered.

An awkward silence fell on them and Clint stood up. "We need to get some sleep," He told her. He let out a deep breath as he moved closer to her, making her look at him surprised. "We'll freeze to death if we sleep on our own," he stated.

"Okay," She answered.

She moved beside him, wrapping her arm around his back as his went around her shoulders. They lied down in front of the fire. "I'll keep watch," he said quietly. Nodding her head slowly, she rested her head on his chest as sleep started to claim her.

The next morning, they got up and Clint doused the fire with whatever water they had left. They looked up when they heard howling in the distance. "Great, wolves, what's next?" he muttered.

"Where do we go?" She asked as they left the cave.

"North, that's all I can think of," he replied as they went down the stairs.

Bobbi walked beside him. "Your wife, how did you meet her?" She asked. Clint stood at the top of the hill and turned sideways so he slid down the hill on his feet.

"I'm not exactly sure yet, I just know her name, that we're married, and we have two kids," he replied.

Bobbi slowly walked down the hill, letting out a shriek when she slipped, but he grabbed her, making him stumble a little. Letting her go, he pulled her arm and they went down another path. "I also know that where we just were, tortured her for years, the same way they tortured you," he added.

"How can you be with someone who was tortured like that for so long?" she asked.

Clint looked at her, forcing her to stop. "Because it wasn't her fault," he replied. Bobbi was quiet as he stared at her intensely. "Don't judge my relationship with her, just because I don't remember much, doesn't compromise my feelings for her," he added. Turning on his heel, he continued on the path as Bobbi followed behind him.

They continued down the path when Clint had to stop, the side in his pain almost becoming unbearable. "Shit," he muttered.

"You should let me check that," she told him.

"No, I'm good," he answered.

Bobbi shook her head slowly, getting him to lift his arm up so she could check the injury. "It looks okay," She murmured.

"That's a relief," he answered.

Getting up, he fixed his shirt. She bit her lower lip as she watched him walk away.

As Clint was walking, his head started to throb again.

**_ Standing in a room with his target, he knew what was going to happen. He was told how she worked, she seduced her target then killed them. Sitting down, he undid his tie when she came out of he bathroom wearing a negligee. His eyes grew extremely wide. "What do you think?" she asked._**

**_"Beautiful," he replied._**

**_ Standing up, he let out a deep breath. Walking over, she ran her fingers over his chest. "I think we should get you a little more comfortable," she commented. Before he had chance, he felt her reach down to grab his knife in his back pocket. Clint grabbed her wrist and she aimed the knife at his throat, but he grabbed her hair, twisting her wrist so the knife point was at her throat._**

**_ The girl glared at him, sinking her teeth into his arm. Clint hissed in pain before he grabbed her free wrist, throwing her into the wall. She kicked him in the stomach before she took the heel of her hand shoving it up into his chin. He grabbed her arm, twisting it behind her and shoved her up against the wall. This was a sixteen-year-old girl, he wasn't going to kill her. He reached into his other pocket and bit off the cap to a syringe. She tried to elbow him, but he just let the needle sink into her shoulder._**

Clint realized he was sitting in the ground and Bobbi was in front of him. "Clint? Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah…yeah…I'm okay," He replied, letting out a deep breath.

**(Manhattan)**

Natasha was getting irritated, there was no sign of Clint whatsoever. She had to think about what she saw on the video, the van. She recognized that van…but where? Letting out a deep breath, she pulled on one of Clint's shirts and went down to Stark's lab. "Good morning, Mrs. Barton," JARVIS greeted.

"Hey, JARVIS, can you play the security clip from Clint's camera again?" she asked.

"Certainly," he replied.

Natasha sat down at the computer as she watched the computer play the clip again. Just as it showed Clint being dragged to a van, she froze the screen and her heart seized in her chest. "I knew it," she whispered. Getting up, she walked out of the door just as Thor came down the hall.

"Natasha?" he asked stunned to see the look in her eyes.

"We have to go, I know where to start searching," she replied.

Thor followed her as she went over to the elevator. "JARVIS, call Stark, we're leaving," she stated.

"At once," JARVIS answered as the doors closed.

"Let Pepper know she's babysitting," she added.

"Yes ma'am," JARVIS answered again as the doors opened to the garage.

Walking over to one of Stark's cars, she waited for the billionaire to come out. "Did you find the bird?" Stark asked as he walked out.

"He's in Russia," she replied.

"Then let's head to Russia," Stark told her as they got into the car.

He looked at the woman as she rested her hand on her stomach. "Natasha…" he started.

"If you ask me to stay behind I'll break your hand," she told him.

Holding his hands up in the surrender position, he called Happy to tell him to get the jet ready for Russia.

Arriving at the airstrip, they got out of the car and Natasha stopped, looking at Thor. "You don't have to go, Thor. You have Jane and the new baby," she told him.

"Jane knows this is important, my friends need me," he answered.

Nodding in agreement, she gave his arm a squeeze before they climbed the stairs. "Has she been cleared to fly?" Happy asked.

"I'm able to fly until my third trimester," she replied simply as she went into the jet.

"Don't argue with her, she was cranky before she was pregnant, she's worse while she's pregnant," Stark told his driver.

He tossed the man his keys. "Take care of her," he added. Happy nodded as he went over to the waiting sports car.

Natasha sat in her seat, letting out a deep breath. She tapped her fingers on the table in front of her, anxiously waiting for the plane to take off. Thor sat across from her while Stark went to talk to the pilots. "Thank you, Thor," she murmured.

"What for?" he asked.

"For believing me when I told you that Clint was alive," she replied.

"I see no reason why a simple explosion would bring Barton down. The man survived Loki's manipulations as well as surviving a galactic war my brother waged upon your world," he answered.

Smiling a little, she let out a sigh when Thor reached across the table, resting his hand over hers. "We will find him," he assured her. Looking at him, she gave his hand a light squeeze as the jet took off.


	10. Working Together

Chapter 9: Working Together

Clint had to stop and rest for the night, the pain in his side was almost unbearable. "Do you think we're close to a village?" Bobbi asked as she sat down.

"Hopefully," he replied, wincing before she held up the small canteen that was attached to her belt.

Nodding in thanks, he took it and took a long drink of the water they had gotten from the snow they melted. "How's your head?" she asked.

"I'll survive," he replied, "I've been through worse."

Standing up, he let out another long, deep breath. "Let's keep going, please," he told her. Nodding, she gripped his arm lightly as they continued on their journey.

Finally, they reached a small Russian village and found an inn. Clint walked over to the front desk and the small young woman that sat behind the desk looked up. "Здравствуйте, я могу помочь Вам?" she asked. (Hello, can I help you?)

"Да, мой друг и я хотели бы комнату пожалуйста," he replied. (Yes, my friend and I would like a room.)

The girl looked at Bobbi who was just staring quizzically. "Одна кровать?" she asked. (One bed?)

"Нет, два пожалуйста," he replied. (No, two please.)

The girl nodded as she looked into the little book in front of her. Standing up, she grabbed keys off the hook behind her. "Комната 216 это находится на верхнем этаже с правой стороны от Вас," She told him. (Room 216 it is on the top floor to your right.)

"Спасибо и где мы можем найти ваш ближайший рынок?" he asked. (Thank you and where can we find your nearest market?)

"Прямо на углу вниз улица отсюда," she replied. (Right on the corner down the street from here.)

Clint nodded, giving her a small smile which made the young woman blush. "Спасибо," He told her. (Thank you.) She nodded to him and gave him a smile, when he went to pay for the room she shook her head, insisting that it was on the house. He once again thanked the young woman before they left.

"I didn't know you spoke Russian," Bobbi commented.

"Neither did I," he replied as they climbed the stairs.

Reaching the room, Clint sat down and Bobbi pulled off the jacket. "I'm going to get us some supplies," she told him.

"Sounds good, be careful, Ivan has spies everywhere," he answered.

Nodding her head slowly, she gave his shoulder a light squeeze before leaving the room. Clint got up and decided to get a shower. Going into the bathroom, he peeled off his clothes and looked at the injury in the mirror. He cursed under his breath when he saw how bad it really was. It looked as if someone just stabbed a hole with him with a rod. "Dammit," he muttered.

Getting into the shower, he started to clean the dirt and grime off his body from wandering the wilderness for three days. Carefully, he cleaned the injury before stepping out of the shower. Grabbing the towel, he dried his hair and then wrapped the towel around his waist.

Sitting down on the bed, Clint pulled his pants back on before lying back on the bed. He was exhausted, completely and utterly exhausted from the ordeal he had to go through the last two weeks. He didn't even realize he had fallen asleep until he heard the door close to their room. Sitting up, he had grabbed the gun from underneath his pillow when he saw that it was just Bobbi. "It's just me, I got us some fresh clothes, food, and bandages," she told him.

"Great," he answered.

She checked the injury in his side. "I should stitch this up," She told him.

"Sounds good to me," He answered.

Grabbing the medical supplies she had bought, she made sure the wound was clean. "How did you get this stuff?" he asked.

"You're not the only one who can charm people," she replied.

Clint winced when he felt the needle pierce the skin in his back. Bobbi lightly rested her hand on his back as she continued wither work.

Once she finished stitching up the wound, she threw out everything, washing her hands while Clint taped the gauze on himself. "Do you have anymore memories of your life?" She asked.

"Just what you already know," he replied, letting out a deep breath.

Bobbi put the food out. "We can't stay in one place, we need to leave in the morning," he told her.

"You think Ivan's trailing us?" she asked.

"From what I remember he doesn't get up easily," He replied.

Bobbi sat down on the bed, pulling her knees up to her chest. "What does he want?" She asked.

"My kids," Clint replied, "He wants my kids."

Bobbi frowned as she moved back onto the bed so her back was against the headboard. "Why?" she asked.

"Because I took his assassin," he replied.

Clint reached into the bag and pulled out a bottle of vodka. "After these last few weeks I think we deserve it," Bobbi told him.

"No shit," He answered before he took the cap off and took a long swig.

In Moscow, Natasha got off the plane with Thor behind her, moving to help her down. "Thanks," she murmured.

"We should get to a hotel, get some rest before we keep going with this journey," Stark suggested.

"We don't even know where to begin," Natasha answered, resting her hand on her stomach.

Thor rested his hand on her shoulder. "Some sustenance and rest will help us concentrate on finding Barton," He assured her.

"Okay, okay," she answered as he led her over to the waiting car.

Arriving at the hotel, and checking into their rooms, Natasha lied down and started playing with her wedding ring. "Damn you, Barton, you've made me become a softy," She muttered under her breath.

**_ Natasha let out a deep breath as she looked at herself in the mirror. Most girls planned a big white wedding, but not this girl. This wasn't even supposed to be allowed, she and Clint were partners, SHIELD agents, and fraternization between agents was against the rules. With these new missions, she wanted to get this over with._**

**_ She clipped in the sapphire barrette Clint gave her, telling her 'something blue', or something along those cheesy lines that made her roll her eyes. She heard a knock on her door and turned around to see Coulson standing there. He smiled at her once he stood in the room. "I think I like this side of you better," he commented._**

**_"Wearing a dress past my knees?" she asked with a small smirk._**

**_ Coulson chuckled lightly before he motioned for her to turn around and tied the black sash around her waist. "Ready?" he asked._**

**_"I guess," she replied._**

**_ He gently took her by the arm and led her from the room. "Thanks for letting us use your house," she added._**

**_"You and Barton are two of my close friends, no thanks needed," he answered._**

**_ Natasha looked at herself, her wedding gown was an a-line skirt, with a sequenced top, in the sequence, per her design, there was a small hawk and a spider. She had spaghetti straps, and the black sash._**

**_ Clint stood in the den with the Justice of the Peace who was waiting patiently. She saw him standing there in his tux, looking nervous, but excited at the same time, which made her smile. "Shall we?" the older man asked._**

**_"I'm ready when you are," She replied smiling._**

**_ Clint stared at her. "You're so beautiful," he murmured. Natasha smiled as she held his hands in hers._**

Natasha opened her eyes when there was a knock on the door. "Mrs. Barton, we have food," Stark called out from the other side. Getting up, she slid off the bed and opened the door. "I have no idea what your cravings are so I got a little of everything," He told her as the bellboys brought in cart after cart of food.

"Stark! I don't need this much food," She insisted, her eyes going wide.

"I don't know much about pregnancies so bear with me," Stark answered.

Natasha shook her head slowly as she pulled off one of the tops to the platters, taking a bowl of fruit. "This baby just craves blueberries," she told him as she sat down.

"Well, that's an easy craving," Stark commented.

"If you knew anything about pregnancies, cravings are from nutrients the body lacked that the baby needs," she replied.

She started eating the fruit, feeling her unborn daughter move and kick around. "Yep, that's what she likes," She said smiling.

"She's not as complicated as her parents," Stark answered.

"No, she's more decisive, calmer than her brother and sister," she told him.

"The other two weren't?" Stark asked.

"Nope, with Luka I craved pickles with hot sauce," she replied.

Natasha sat back against the headboard. "With Valera I craved chicken with chili sauce," she added.

"Talk about fatty foods," he commented.

"I'm glad this one craves blueberries, apples, and grapefruit," she answered.

Stark grinned as he sat down, letting out a deep breath. "We have quite the work cut out for us," he commented.

"You didn't have to come," She answered.

"And have you come alone?" Stark asked, looking at her.

"I'm not an invalid," She said angrily.

Stark held his hands up. "I just need to find my husband, Ivan could be trying to kill him now as we speak," She told him, standing up.

"What do you think you can do being five months pregnant?" Stark asked.

"I was seven months pregnant with Luka when Clint and I had a mission in Brazil," she replied.

"Yea, as I recall Barton almost started screaming at you because of that," Stark told her.

Natasha crossed her arms over her chest. "I can fight fine, Stark," she said angrily, "I'm the only one who can stop Ivan."

"Why you?" Stark asked.

"I know his secrets, I know his weaknesses," she replied.

Suddenly, Natasha remembered something. "Damn pregnancy brain!" she exclaimed. She ran over to her suitcase.

"What is it?" Stark asked.

"Clint and I always had a backup plan just in case we needed to find each other," she replied.

"What is it?" Stark repeated as she started going through her suitcase.

Natasha grabbed a scanner from her suitcase. "I hope he has it on him," She whispered. She flipped a switch, but then her hope died quickly when the screen said 'No Signal'. "Our weddings rings had a tracking system in them," she told him.

"No signal?" Stark asked.

She shook her head slowly. "Which means the tracker in his ring is probably fried," She replied. She looked at Stark, trying to keep her composure but with the worrying and the pregnancy, she was losing. "Why can't I find my husband, Stark?" she demanded. Stark had her stand up and hugged her.

"We'll find him, Natasha, I promise," He told her.


	11. When Things Seem Pointless

Chapter 10: When things seem Pointless

The next morning, they left the little town and continued on their way towards Moscow. "What's in Moscow?" Bobbi asked.

"My wife, I hope," He replied.

"She's Russian?" she asked.

"Yeah, can't tell when you talk to her though," He replied.

Bobbi sighed as he held onto her hand, pulling her up when she started sliding down the hill. "What's her name?" she asked.

"Natasha," he replied, "my son's name is Luka and my daughter's is Valera."

Bobbi smiled as she watched his eyes light up as he spoke about the family he just remembered. "I'm sure your kids are beautiful," She murmured.

"They are we're lucky to have them," He answered.

As they started walking along the path, Clint stopped to rest his aching side.

**_ Clint was standing outside the infirmary when one of the medics came out. "Is she okay?" he asked._**

**_"Agent Barton, it seems Agent Romanoff had a miscarriage," the medic answered, staring at his notes as he spoke._**

**_ Clint felt his heart drop. "She was pregnant?" He asked, "But I thought she couldn't…"_**

**_"She can't, the serum in her system terminated the pregnancy," the medic replied._**

**_ The twenty-two-year-old agent leaned against the wall stunned. "She's resting now, you can see her," the medic told him. Standing up, Clint went into the infirmary to see Natasha's back facing him. _**

**_"Natasha?" he called lightly._**

**_"Go away!" she snapped._**

**_ Clint stood there. "Nat…" he murmured. Reaching out, he rested his hand on her shoulder. Suddenly, he saw her whole body tremble and sobs wracked her body. Deciding against the idea of just leaving her alone, Clint lied down beside her on the bed, and she turned around in his arms._**

**_"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she told him as she cried._**

**_ He hushed her softly, rubbing her back._**

Clint let a deep breath as he continued down the path in the forest.

When they finally reached Moscow, Clint looked around. "Anything look familiar?" she asked. Scanning the areas, he saw a bridge and walked over to it to look out over the water.

In the same area, Natasha sighed as she leaned against a rail, looking at the bridge. "That bridge is where Clint and I first met," she told Thor as he stood beside her. He looked to his left and he stood up straight.

"Lady Natasha…" he said slowly.

Natasha lifted her head, looking at him. "What?" she asked. She saw that he was looking at something and looked to her left. "Oh my God…" She whispered.

Clint felt like he was being watched and he looked over to see a large, bulky man staring at him, but his heart stopped. In front of him was the woman from his picture. "Natasha…" he whispered. Bobbi looked in the direction he was looking and couldn't help but frown.

Totally forgetting about her pregnancy, Natasha hurried over to her husband and once she reached him, she hugged him as tight as she could. Clint was stunned but he hugged her back. "Natasha…" he whispered again. Suddenly, she pulled back, smacking him across the face.

"You bastard! You had me worried all this time!" she exclaimed, shoving him.

Clint stumbled a bit. "I'm not supposed to care! I'm the cold soldier! I'm not supposed to have feelings!" she exclaimed, hitting his chest, "You make me care you son of a bitch!" Clint grabbed her arms and she fought against him. "You made me love you!" she told him.

"You made me love you too," he answered simply, holding onto her arms.

Natasha's breathing was heavy as tears pressed against her eyes.

**_ The two of them were back to back, their enemies surrounding them. "Romanoff," Clint told her._**

**_"Yeah," she answered as she went to reload her gun._**

**_"If we make it out of this alive, how about we go somewhere quiet for the next six months?" He suggested._**

**_ Natasha glanced over her shoulder at him. "You trying to tell me something, Barton?" she asked. Clint smirked as he strung an arrow into his bow._**

**_"I've been compromised, Natasha," he replied, his grey eyes locking with her green eyes._**

**_ She stared at him, giving him a small smile. "Same here, Clint," she murmured. Smiling at her, he grabbed her arm._**

**_"Shall we dance?" he asked._**

**_"As long as I get to lead," She replied._**

**_"You wish," He answered before he pulled her up, bending his leg so she could jump off his leg and shoulder, firing her guns at the enemy as he started shooting arrow after arrow._**

They stared at each other for the longest time. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," He whispered, hugging her close. She hugged him back, gripping the back of his shirt.

"What happened to you?" she asked.

"It's a long story, but I promise I'll explain everything," He replied.

Pulling back, he then saw the bump on her stomach. "Nat?" he asked.

"We did it again," She replied, making him smile.

He put his hands on her stomach, feeling their unborn child kick under his palms. He rested his forehead against hers, moving his hand up and down her back. Natasha tilted her head back and kissed him deeply. Clint happily kissed his wife back, wrapping his arms around her.

Bobbi was watching with some tears in her eyes, she couldn't help but feel jealous. She had hoped that he wouldn't remember everything completely. She hoped that he would have completely forgotten his wife and children, live a life with her. Suddenly, she felt a burn in the side of her neck.

She let out a small gasp, holding her neck. Quickly, she hurried away as the pain started rushing up her neck to her head. "_You will serve us_," a voice hissed into her ears, making her whimper in pain. "_Kill them_," the voice snapped.

"I will _kill_ them," she murmured.

She looked to her right to see the two lovers locked in their embrace before Natasha took her husband's hand and they went in the direction of their hotel with the tall blond man behind them. "_Keep the offspring alive_," the voice ordered in her ear.

"It will be done," she answered stoically.

Bobbi turned on her heel and walked away from the scene.

**Author's Note: Sorry for the late update everyone. I was in New York for a couple of days but I am finally back *smiles*. Here you are the reunion finally sorry for taking so long with that as well. This story is far from over, hope you like what else I have planned. Thank you so much for your support so far, it mans a lot.**

**Arwennicole**


	12. When Things are Calm

Chapter 11: When Things are Calm

At the hotel, Natasha touched her husband's face her thumb moving along his jaw. Clint leaned into her touch, while his hands moved along her sides, his hands resting over their unborn child again. "What happened to you, really?" she asked.

"Do you really want to know?" He asked.

Natasha raised her brow, making him sigh. "Can I at least get a shower before we talk about this?" he asked.

"As long as I get to join you," She replied.

She let out a real laugh as he pulled her close. "After I've been trying to find you? I wouldn't have it any other way," he told her. Taking her hand, they went into the bathroom.

She pulled her hand from his and she turned the water on to the tub. "I think, a bath would bath would be a better idea, with your injuries," She murmured. He chuckle softly as she pushed the jacket off his shoulders and then pulled his shirt up.

Seeing the stitches in his side made her eyes go wide. "I'll explain later," he assured her. She rested her hands on his chest as he leaned forward, brushing his lips over hers. Kissing him back, her hands moved over his chest to his shoulders. Clint's lips caressed her skin, the feeling of her skin, her scent of vanilla and honey reached his nose and his memory of how intoxicating her scent was to him. So hypnotizing, she could kill him then and there, she had the chance so long ago when they were first partnered together. That he did remember, how she didn't trust him the first two years they were partners.

Natasha removed the shirt she was wearing and they finished undressing each other before getting into the water. She leaned back against his chest as his hands moved along her arms to her stomach where their unborn child lied and grew. As his fingers moved over her stomach, he felt the gentle tap from their baby underneath his fingers. "She has been very active since you're back," she said softly.

"She always knew there was a part missing from the family," he answered.

Entwining his fingers with hers, he moved his thumb over her wrist. "Clint, why didn't you come find me?" she asked, "Why were we apart for so long?" Clint was silent, how could he tell his wife that he had forgotten her? "Don't play games with me," she added. Sighing, he wrapped his arms around her.

"After the explosion…the Red Room took me hostage," he replied.

Natasha swallowed hard, closing her eyes as she let out a shaky breath. "They had me pinned down in a van…the last thing I remember is a needle sinking into my skin before I punched the guy and was able to escape the van. Next thing I knew, I was waking up in someone's house," he murmured, "With no memory of my life for the last 20 years."

"The Red Room tried to take you from me," she whispered, "Just like they took Alexei."

He hugged her closer, resting his forehead against the side of her head. "I'm not Alexei, I'm a fighter who was determined to come home to you," he answered. Sighing, she rested her head on his shoulder as he pressed kisses to her forehead. "I came back to you, Natasha. I will always come back to you," he murmured.

When they were done with their bath, Clint walked out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist when he saw there were two suitcases. "One's for you," she told him.

"Natasha, the kids, how are the kids?" he asked as he grabbed a suitcase, putting it up on the bed.

"They miss you, they are going to be so happy to see you," she replied as she reached into her own suitcase, pulling out a change of clothes.

As she went to change, their eyes were locked together and he moved closer to her. Leaning forward, he kissed her deeply, pulling her to him. She kissed him back, wrapping her arms tightly around his back. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this happy, this complete as he lifted her up and moved her onto the bed. Smiling, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close to her and kissed him deeply.

Somewhere else in Moscow, Bobbi walked into a warehouse and there were guards that led her up four flights of stairs. Entering a room, she walked over to Ivan who sat in his chair. "My Master…" She said softly. Walking over, she crouched down on one knee, kissing his knuckles when he held his hand out to her.

"You are here to learn from the Masters," he stated.

"I am," she agreed robotically.

Ivan grinned as he stood up, moving his fingers through her hair. "You will be our fighter, you will destroy Natalia Alianovna," he told her. He took out a picture of Natasha, throwing it on the floor in front of the blond girl. "Kill her when she is at her most vulnerable, resting from the birth of the child. Once she is dead, you will take the child," he stated.

"It will be done," she answered, staring at the picture in front of her.

Ivan grinned as he walked over to his men. "You will kill Barton after he sees that the Red Room doesn't play the games he thinks we play," He added.

"And the other children, Master?" she asked.

"They know too much of right and wrong to be trained to be ours. We only need the child she carries, do whatever is necessary," He replied.

Bobbi stood up and looked at the man. "I am ready to fight, Master. I am ready to learn," she told him.

"Good, then we shall begin," Ivan told her.

She followed the three men from the room and smirked to herself.

Three days later, Clint was sitting on the plane anxiously. Natasha was smiling at her husband as she sat down. "Here, have a drink, Barton," She told him, putting a cup in front of him.

"Water or Vodka?" he asked, looking at the clear liquid.

"Just drink it," She answered.

Taking the cup, he swigged it feeling the burn of Vodka going down his throat. Putting his cup down, he let out a deep breath. "Your kids are going to be happy to see you," she said softly.

"I hope so, because ever since I remembered them, they are all I think about," he answered.

Natasha reached across the table, giving his hand a light squeeze. Clint smiled, entwining his fingers with hers.

When the plane landed on Stark's private air strip, they got off the plane and Natasha held his hand. "Luca should be in school," She told him softly.

"Well, I want to see my son," he answered.

They got into the waiting car and Clint looked over at his other two teammates. "We'll see you at the tower," He told them.

"Yep," Stark answered as he and Thor got into his car and sped off.

Clint got into the car and drove towards the school. "Just tell me where to go," he told her.

"Just go straight right now," she answered.

Driving for awhile, she noticed that her husband was nervous. "It'll be alright," she assured him.

"I'm just nervous about seeing my own kids again after they were told I was dead," he answered.

Reaching over, she gave his hand a tight squeeze. "Luca never believed it," She assured him. Smiling, he kissed the back of her hand, holding their clasped hands against his heart. "Take a right here and park across the street. Nodding his head slowly, he pulled up to the school and parked. Natasha smiled, kissing his shoulder. "Ready?" She asked.

"Yeah," he replied.

They got out of the car and Clint held onto his wife's hand tightly as they walked up to the school. They signed in with the security guard in the school before they were directed to Luca's first grade class. Walking down the hall, Natasha smiled as she opened the door. "He's doing his math," she whispered. Nodding his head slowly, Natasha smiled at her son's teacher.

"Luca, your mom's here," the teacher told the young boy.

Clint moved beside Natasha and saw their son's eyes grow wide. "DAD!" he shouted. Jumping from his chair, he ran to his father who lifted him up, holding him tightly against him. Luca wrapped his arms tightly around his father's neck. "I knew they were lying," he told his father with tears in his eyes.

"I'm here buddy," he whispered to his son.

Clint kissed his son's cheek, hugging him close while Natasha got their son's stuff. Luca was crying, his head resting on his father's shoulder. "We're going home, Luc," he told his son who was happy to agree about going home with his father.

Getting back to StarkTower, Clint got Luca out of the car and the boy clung to his father tightly. "Welcome back, Agent Barton," JARVIS stated, making the SHIELD Agent look up.

"It's just Stark's AI System, you get used to him," Natasha told him.

The family entered the elevator. "JARVIS, which floor is Val on?" she asked.

"She's on the top floor," JARVIS replied.

Natasha hit the button to the top of floor and Clint picked Luca up again and the boy continued hugging him. "Where were you dad?" Luca asked.

"I was hurt for awhile buddy, but I'm okay now," Clint assured him, rubbing his back.

When they arrived at the top floor, they got off the elevator to see Steve playing with Valera. "Hey Buggy," Natasha called to their daughter. Valera lifted her head up and gasped when she saw both her mommy and her daddy.

"Daddy!" she said happily.

She got to her feet and she toddled to her father who put Luca down on the floor and swept her up into his arms. The little girl giggled, hugging her father tightly. "Hey sweetheart," he whispered, kissing the side of her head while rubbing her back.

"I gots you daddy," she answered.

Chuckling, he kissed her forehead before hugging both of his children tightly. "I've got you both," he answered.

Natasha looked over at Steve who was standing there stunned. "Natasha…" Steve started.

"Later," was her only answer before Clint stood up with their kids in his arms and she hugged all three of them.

Clint kissed her forehead as he held his family close to him. "Welcome home daddy," Natasha said into his neck, making him chuckle.

"I'm happy to finally be home," He answered.


	13. Surprise Visits

Chapter 12: Surprise Visits

Clint was sitting in the living room with his children, playing with them. He was tickling his daughter who was squealing with laughter when Luka jumped on his back. "Get off my sister!" he exclaimed.

"Ah! I'm being attacked!" Clint fake cried out as his son pulled him onto his back.

The children giggled as they climbed over their father. He hugged his children to him as they settled down. "Daddy, when is the baby coming?" Luka asked.

"I'm not sure buddy, the baby will come when it feels like it," he replied.

Luka smiled as he snuggled up to his father and Clint touched his son's sandy-blond head. "Agent Barton, you have a visitor," JARVIS said over the system. Clint sat up, setting Valera up onto her feet.

"Who's here, JARVIS?" he asked as he climbed to his feet.

He made his way to the elevator. "Someone saying his name is Barney Barton, your older brother," JARVIS replied. With that name, he immediately stopped.

"He's not allowed in," he answered.

Turning around from the elevator, he again stopped. "Actually, JARVIS, send him up," He told the AI system. He walked over to his children, squatting down in front of them. "Hey, how about you go into your playroom? Daddy has to talk to someone," He told them. Luka took his sister's hand and they went into their playroom while Clint walked over to the safe that was in the corner of the room.

Pulling back the painting that was hiding it. He unlocked the safe, pulling out his gun. Making sure it was loaded before putting it in the back of his pants and covered his shirt over it. When the elevator dinged, he looked towards the door and his brother came through the door. He was taller than Clint with dark brown eyes and messy dark brown hair. "Clint," he said, almost sounding surprised.

"Barney," He answered.

The two estranged brothers just stared at each other for the longest time. "It's great to see you little brother," Barney told him as he took a couple of steps forward, but then stopped when Clint backed up.

"Yeah? Last I saw you, you told me I should've just left you alone when I caught you stealing from our boss," Clint answered, "Then you left me to die on the side o the road."

He saw the confusion in his brother's face. "What?" he asked.

"You heard me," Clint answered, "How the Hell did you know where I lived?"

Barney looked so confused as he stared at him. "Clint, we met up again three years ago don't you remember?" He asked. He looked over when Natasha came out.

"Barney, hi," she said smiling.

"Natasha, what the hell is going on with my brother?" Barney asked.

Clint grabbed Natasha's arm when she went to talk to him. "Stay away from him," he told her. Natasha looked at him, but then realization showed over her face.

"Okay, everyone calm down before we start tearing this place apart. God knows that's the last thing the kids need to see," she answered.

She grabbed her husband's hand and led him over to the stools, but she reached under his shirt and pulled his gun out. "You're not going to need this," she added. She saw Barney's eyes go wide.

"Were you going to shoot me?" Barney asked as he sat down across from him.

"You left me half-dead on the side of the road, surprising?" Clint asked.

Natasha held her hands up. "Alright, Barney, first of all it's good to see you. I'm sorry I haven't had the chance to send a message to you," She told him.

"What's going on, Natasha?" Barney asked.

She sat down with Clint's help and rested her hand on her stomach. "From what I understand is this. After our mission in Paris, Clint was kidnapped by the Red Room," she replied.

"What? What did they to him?" Barney demanded, anger showing in the older Barton's eyes.

"Like you care," Clint snapped.

"Clint, enough," Natasha told him, forcing him to close his mouth.

She looked back at her brother-in-law, letting out a sigh. "He was able to escape, but they injected him with something that made him lose 20 years of his memory," she added. There was a long pause between the three of them and Barney looked at his younger brother.

"So…he has no memory of me being around for the last three years?" he asked.

Clint lifted his head, looking at him. "The last three years?" he asked.

"Yeah, I found you guys when I needed help from an old boss," Barney replied.

Natasha reached over, giving her husband's hand a tight squeeze. "You guys saved my life," he added. Clint just stared at him, trying to remember what had happened three years ago. Suddenly, Barney got up from the stool and walked over to his brother, practically yanking him out of his stool. "I'm your brother again, Barney and Clint Barton, just like it was before I did what I did," Barney told him, "You saved my life remember?"

**(Flashback: 3 Years Ago)**

_ **Clint, Barney, and Natasha were firing shot after shot at the gang members that were trying to kill Barney. "Cover me!" Barney called out.**_

**_"What the hell are you doing?!" Clint demanded._**

**_"Going after Marcos," Barney replied._**

**_ Before the younger Barton could react, his brother got up and dodged the blasts fired at him. "BARNEY!" he shouted._**

**_"Go get him! We have it here, Legolas!" Stark called out._**

**_ Clint got up from the ground and ran after his brother. Running up the stairs, he saw that the leader of the gang throwing a grenade at his unsuspecting brother's back. "BARNEY!" he shouted as he ran at his brother. Grabbing him around the back, he threw both of them out of the nearest window as the grenade went off. They both hit the ground and Clint groaned in pain as pain radiated through is side._**

**_"Hang in there little brother, help's coming," he heard Barney say._**

******(End Flashback)**

Clint looked at his brother with wide eyes. "Remember?" Barney asked. The younger brother nodded his head slowly before Barney hugged him tightly.

"Why didn't you help Natasha come find me?" Clint asked.

"Shit, because when your boss showed up at my door to tell me the news, I split town," he replied.

Natasha watched as Clint slowly hugged his brother back and the two Barton men stood there. "Scare me like that again, little brother, and I'll be the one to kill you," Barney told him.

"Uncle Barney!" Luka exclaimed as he ran down the hall.

"Hey, Slugger!" Barney answered, lifting his nephew up into his arms.

The boy was grinning from ear to ear. "Look! Dad's here, just like I said," Luka told him.

"Yes you did, you're a smart man, Luk," he told his nephew, tickling his stomach.

Natasha slowly got off the chair. "So, where have you been?" Barney asked finally, looking at his brother, "You obviously escaped this Red Room, where did you go?"

"I wandered around Russia," Clint replied as he sat down and Natasha sat beside him.

"You just wandered around Russia?" Barney asked, not completely believing him.

"It's true, I had no memory of the last twenty years. The last thing I remembered was I was in Texas on the side of the road," Clint replied.

Barney frowned as he sent Luka to go back to play and Valera crawled into Clint's lap. "This woman here, from what I've heard, never gave up," the older Barton stated, gesturing to Natasha.

"I was almost put into psychiatric hold, but yes," she replied.

Clint looked at her. "I really think I should talk to Fury about all this," he commented.

"Right now all you need to worry about is welcoming this kid," Barney answered, "Fury can wait and stick his foot in his mouth later about everything."

"He knows Clint's alive, but we've been trying to get Clint fully recovered before he even thinks of stepping on the Helicarrier again," Natasha told him.

Clint rubbed his forehead and let out a sigh. "What's wrong?" Barney asked.

"Just…my head…Stark and Banner gave me some new meds that's supposed to help with the pain in my side from when I was shot and the pain in my head from when the memories would try to come back," he explained.

"It doesn't seem to work," Barney concluded.

Shrugging his shoulders, he let out a sigh. "No medication is perfect," he answered before he tilted his head back.

"So, what happens now?" Barney asked.

"We lay low, wait for the arrival of the new Barton and we'll go from there," Clint replied.

Natasha held her husband's hand with a small smile as his hand rested on her stomach. "It's good to see you again, Barney," Clint told him.

"Good to see you too, Clint, welcome home," his brother answered with a small smirk.


	14. The Beauty of Life

Chapter 13: The Beauty of Life

Clint walked onto the bridge of the Helicarrier, still dressed in his civilian clothes. "What's going on, sir?" he asked.

"Barton, thanks for coming," Fury replied.

"Didn't give me much choice, even though I thought I was still on medical leave," Clint commented.

"You are, but this is too important to not bring you in," Fury replied.

Standing beside, he saw the screen depicting a picture of Ivan. "We had two spies on him, we lost contact with him about two days ago," Fury explained. Crossing his arms over his chest, he let out a deep breath.

"As I recall, Ivan always knew how to sneak through," he answered.

"That's the problem, he was able to outsmart two of our best agents," Fury told him.

Clint frowned as he kept his arms crossed over his chest. "What do you suggest?" he asked.

"While you are on medical leave, I would like it if you could try to track this man down," Fury replied.

Before the agent could answer, his phone started ringing. "Sorry, sir, just one second," he told his boss. Fury watched as he answered the phone. "Nat?" he asked. He saw his grey eyes grow wide. "I'm coming," he told her before hanging up.

"Barton?" Fury asked.

"Natasha's gone into labor, I have to get home," Clint replied before he practically ran off the bridge.

**(Hospital: 12 Hours Later)**

Clint was standing in the hospital room with a smile on his face as he was cradling his newborn daughter in his arms. "She's incredible," he murmured.

"You say that about each kid," Natasha quipped tiredly.

"It's because it's true. Each one of our kids are incredible," he answered before sitting beside her.

Smiling, Natasha took her daughter into her arms. "Hello Breasha," she whispered softly to the newborn, covering her up a little more with her blanket. She stroked her cheek softly and the newborn yawned and fell asleep in her mother's arms. Clint kissed the top of his daughter's head with a smile, holding her tiny hand between his thumb and index finger. Natasha sighed, resting her head on his shoulder as he stroked her hair lightly.

While Natasha was resting, Clint was holding his daughter in his arms again, sitting by the window. Breasha was sleeping peacefully, her tiny hands opening and closing as she slept. "You join a group of miracle children, Bre," he whispered, "True miracles." He pressed a kiss to her forehead when Luca and Valera came in.

"Dadddy!" Valera said excitedly.

"Hey you guys," he said smiling.

Natasha was awake again, smiling as her two children climbed up onto the bed. "Mommy, you otay now?" Valera asked.

"I'm just fine," she replied, stroking her daughter's curls.

Luca smiled, resting his head on his mother's shoulder. "You guys want to see your new sister?" Clint asked. The kids nodded anxiously and Natasha held her arms out so Clint could place Breasha back into her arms.

"Here she is," she said smiling at her children.

Luca pulled the blanket back, looking at his sister with wide eyes. "She's pretty mom," he said beaming. At that moment, Breasha opened her eyes, staring at her big brother.

"She heard you say that buddy," Clint said smiling.

"Can I hold her?" Luca asked anxiously.

"Sure, let's move you over to the chair," he answered.

Luca let out a yelp of surprise as his dad lifted him up off the bed and moved him to the chair by Natasha's bed. "Alright, remember to hold her carefully," Natasha told him. Clint picked Breasha up and Luca was waiting anxiously to hold his sister.

"Remember, support her head," Clint told him.

The oldest Barton child nodded his head anxiously before Clint placed the newborn into his arms. Breasha's eyes were still open and her tiny hands were opening and closing. Reaching into Natasha's duffel, he pulled out the camera and took a picture of brother and sister. "She's looking at me," Luca said smiling.

"She's getting to know your face, buddy," his father answered.

"I'm going to take good care of her!" Luca said proudly, "I'll watch over her and Val."

"You're a great big brother," Natasha said smiling.

Valera climbed off the bed and went over to look at her sister, standing up on her tiptoes. Clint lifted her up so she was hovering right over them so she wouldn't accidentally either fall on them or pull Luca's arm. "Can the uncle come in?" Barney asked.

"Sure, come on in," Clint replied.

Barney walked in with a smile. "My sister!" Luca said proudly.

"Hey cool," he said grinning as he stood over his nephew, looking at the newborn.

Clint chuckled when his daughter sneezed when she looked up at Barney. "She's allergic to you," he quipped.

"Hey, Luc, can I have a chance to hold your sister?" he asked.

Luca looked at his father with an unknowing look. "Uncle Barney gets a chance," Clint answered, setting Valera on the floor. Barney grinned as he carefully took the baby from Luca.

"Hey beautiful, good news, Clint, she looks nothing like you," Barney quipped.

"Actually, she looks more like Clint than these two did when they were born," Natasha answered with a smirk, "She has his eyes, his nose, and his cheek structure."

"You know that just by a few hours?" Barney asked.

"I'll show you Luca and Valera's pictures to get you to see it," she replied with a smirk.

Clint chuckled before looking at his newborn daughter. "She has her mama's lips, ears, and hair though," he answered before taking her back into his arms. Breasha let out a long yawn, her tiny body stretching. "I'd be tired too, going through what you did to get into this world," he said smiling. Walking over to the crib that was by Natasha's bed, he placed their daughter into it, touching her soft cheek lightly while Natasha watched fondly.

"Hey, kids, how about I take you for ice cream? Mommy and daddy look like they can use a nap," Barney commented.

"Just small ice creams please? I don't want to be cleaning up puke when I get home," Clint answered.

Natasha gripped his hand. "Who said you're going anywhere?" she asked, her eyes starting to close.

"Looks like she'll keep you here," Barney quipped.

"I won't mind it," Clint answered.

Crouching down on the floor, Clint kissed his children. "You be good alright?" he asked them. They nodded before hugging him tight and then they kissed Natasha 'bye' before leaving with their uncle.

"At least we can get some sleep here," Natasha murmured.

Smiling, Clint pulled off his boots and got into the bed with his wife. Natasha wrapped her arms tightly around him, resting her head on his chest. "The rest of the team said they would stop by tomorrow, just let this be a family affair today," he murmured.

"They are family…but okay," she said tiredly.

Kissing her forehead, he held her close. "I love you," he whispered. Smiling, she snuggled up against him a little more.

"I love you," she answered.

She entwined her fingers with his, their wedding rings touching. He watched as she fell asleep and looked over his shoulder at his sleeping newborn daughter. Smiling, he drifted off to sleep while holding his wife close in one arm and his other hand was holding his daughter's tiny hand between his thumb and index finger.

Outside the room, Bobbi Morse was standing there watching the family sleep. Reaching up, she pressed her fingers to the earpiece. "Abort mission," she told her boss.

"Why? There's no abort mission!" Ivan snapped.

"Barton's in there, he has his hand on the child in question and Natalia, if I go in there and try to harm either one of them, he'll sense my presence there. He's not weak," she answered.

She heard Ivan snarl on his end of the intercom. "Fine! We'll have to figure something else out," he snapped, "Get back to base."

"Yes sir," she answered before she went down the stairs and disappeared into the night.


	15. Back to Action

Chapter 14: Back to Action

Two months passed since Breasha's birth. The family settled into an easy routine, but the problem was, they were beginning to feel like they were being watched wherever they went.

One day, Natasha smiled as she was getting Breasha into a new onesie. "You make messes like your daddy," she cooed.

"I'm not messy," Clint told his wife as he came in.

Rolling her eyes, she looked at him with a small smirk. "Is that so?" she asked.

"Yeah," he answered, "It's just a system."

"So your pants and jacket lying on our floor is your system?" she asked.

"Yeah, I know where it all is," he replied.

Natasha rolled her eyes, laughing as he pulled her close. Suddenly, the sound of a gunshot ripped through the room. Holding Breasha close, Natasha backed up against the wall while Clint covered her and the baby with his own body. "What the hell was that?" Natasha asked. Instead of answering, Clint ran to the window. He saw someone across the street on a building.

"Natasha, get the kids to safety," he answered before another shot was fired, making him jump back.

Natasha got up, holding a screaming Breasha while Clint ran down the hall. "What the hell is that?" Tony asked.

"Someone's attacking the tower," Clint replied.

Running to the room, Clint grabbed his bow and quiver from the locked case, wrapping it around his torso before he opened the window, climbing out of it.

Bobbi was waiting for Clint to go after the sniper on the opposite roof before she swung into the Barton portion of the tower. Looking around, she saw baby toys everywhere on the phone. She fixed her mask, being sure her face wasn't recognizable as she went down the hall.

Carefully looking around, she pressed herself up against the wall as a gunshot nearly hit her. "Dammit," she muttered under her breath. Glancing over her shoulder, she could see Natasha trying to find her other two children.

"Have you found our target?" Ivan demanded.

"I have sir, Natalia has her though," Bobbi answered.

She heard her boss growl over the earpiece, but she ignored him and waited for the right moment.

Natasha hurried into the panic room, placing a finally calm Breasha into her bassinet. "It's alright, sweetheart, it's okay," she whispered to her daughter, kissing her forehead. She made sure her other two children were in there. "You two just stay here, no matter what," she told them, "I have to go help your father." The children nodded, watching as their mother ran out of the room, closing and locking the panic room door behind her.

"Luka…I'm scared," Valera told her brother.

"Mom and dad are going to beat that bad guy," Luka answered, hugging his sister tightly.

Natasha was walking around a corner when she was suddenly punched in the face. Hitting the ground, her world spun when suddenly she saw a foot coming down toward her head. Rolling out of the way, she jumped to her feet, kicking her attacker. The intruder hissed, jumping off the wall with one foot, aiming to kick the redhead in the face with her foot. Grabbing her enemy's leg, she threw her to the floor.

Bobbi jumped back to her feet, grabbing Natasha's arm when Natasha grabbed her other arm, their arms twisted as the blond was thrown back into a wall. She groaned, but kicked the new mother in her stomach. Feeling pain rush through her, Natasha collapsed and her attacker tried to kick he in the face to knock her out completely. Blocking the attack, Natasha elbowed the girl in the side before jumping to her feet grabbing for her gun when Bobbi grabbed her hair, throwing her to the floor.

Back on the roof, Clint was dodging bullet after bullet when Stark flew up in his suit. "Where is he?" Stark asked.

"There's more than one, they're everywhere," Clint replied before ducking down on the other side of the roof.

"JARVIS pinpoint their whereabouts," Stark ordered.

"We have about a dozen on each rooftop surrounding the tower, sir," JARVIS replied.

Suddenly, Clint saw something get thrown on the roof. "GRENADE!" he shouted. Both men dodged out of the blast, but Clint jumped too far and the impact of the blast made him slide right off the roof. Thinking quickly, he grabbed onto the floor of a balcony he flew by. Throwing his bow up onto the floor, he was able to pull himself up with Thor's help.

"Where do you need me?" Thor asked.

"I need you to get the ones on the building to the North, Stark's going after the ones right in front of us," Clint replied.

Thor swung his hammer around before going to the direction Clint had told him to go. "Steve, I need you to go to the building behind us," Clint told him, wincing as he felt a sharp pain in his side.

"You've been hit," Steve told him.

"I'll be fine, just get to that building, get those guys out," Clint answered, holding his side, "Where's Banner?"

"He was hit, the Hulk's now taking out the ones East of us," Steve told him.

Clint nodded before grabbing his bow. "Where's Nat?" he asked.

"I saw her hiding the children…" Steve started when they heard something break.

The two men ran down the stairs to find Natasha thrown up against the wall, her head and lip were bleeding. The attacker's mask was ripped off and Clint's eyes were wide. "Bobbi?!" he exclaimed.

Hearing her name, Bobbi took a dart, stabbing it into Natasha before grabbing the other woman, holding onto her with a knife to her throat. "One more step and her blood will be all over this floor!" she snapped with a glared. The two men held their hands up.

"Steve, please just go," Clint answered.

"Not happening now," Steve told him.

Bobbi pressed the knife to a weakened Natasha's throat. "I want the baby!" she snapped.

"That's not going to happen, Bobbi, no matter what you do," Clint answered.

His eyes grew wide when he saw blood form around the knife's edge. "Don't test me!" she shrieked.

"You're not getting Breasha," Natasha said with a tired smirk.

"You shut up!" Bobbi hissed, "You ruined everything!"

Natasha winced, feeling the blade dig into her skin. "Ivan wants her dead!" she hissed.

"No, no, don't do that," Clint answered.

To show he wasn't threatening, he tossed his bow and quiver aside. "Clint what the hell are you doing?" Steve demanded.

"She's going to kill Nat if I aim an arrow at her head.

Bobbi just smirked, holding onto the redhead. "You have to choose, Barton, your pretty wife or your kids," she said with a glare.

"You can't threaten the lives of children when they're already brought to safety," Steve answered.

"Are they safe?" Bobbi asked.

"DADDY!" they heard a little voice call.

Clint's blood ran ice cold in his veins when he saw a man drag his two oldest children out. "Where's the third?" Bobbi demanded.

"She wasn't in there," the man answered.

"You won't find her," Luka said with his father's identical half-smirk.

Bobbi let out a growl of frustration while Natasha smiled proudly. "Now you really do have a choice, Barton! It's either your wife or one of those brats!" she snapped at the man. Clint looked at his terrified children and at his wife, who even though drugged showed no fear of death.

"Me," he answered.

Bobbi's eyes grew wide. "What?" she demanded.

"Me for them," he answered, "I'm valuable, I'm a sharpshooter, a strong skill set to have."

Bobbi stared at him. "You'll give up your life for them?" she snapped.

"I'll give anything for them," Clint answered.

The blond stared. "Clint you're nuts!" Natasha snapped, "Just pick me!"

"The children need their mother, you know what it's like to be without a mother, everyone in this room knows what it's like. Don't make my children grow up without theirs," Clint answered.

His heart was racing in his chest. "Your boss can get more out of me than they can of Natasha. She can't give them what she wants, who's to say that the serum they gave her didn't affect our daughters in the same way? How would they be valuable?" Clint demanded.

"Clint…" Steve started to say.

"Shut up, Steve, get my family out of here," he answered.

Bobbi pressed her fingers to the earpiece in her ear. "What do you say, boss?" she asked. After a minute, the blond smirked before she took Natasha, throwing her to the floor. The last thing Clint saw was his wife and children's faces before his world went black and Bobbi saying, "Hey, Captain, catch".

**Author's Note: Hey guys, I know for the slow updates I'm sorry, but there should be more frequent now I've been trying to get marketing stuff rolling for my book: The Haunted Investigator. You guys should check it out on my profile page there's a link to it's facebook, website, and Youtube video. Hope you all liked the chapter, and I'm sorry for another cliffy, but things should be speeding up here to getting everyone back together and happily ever after as it were. Anyways, thanks you guys for the love and support so far!**

**Arwennicole**


	16. A Couple's Loyalty

Chapter 15:A Couple's Loyalty

Clint woke up to his head throbbing, when he reached up to touch the sore spot on his head he heard the clinking of chains. Looking at his wrists, he saw that he was chained to a wall. "Well, look who's awake," Bobbi said with a sneer. Clint lifted his head, looking at the blond.

"Bobbi, why are you doing this?" he asked, "You were my friend."

The blond scoffed as she stood up. "Friend? I gave you everything and you still returned to _her_," she sneered.

"She's my wife, why wouldn't I go back to her?" Clint answered.

Bobbi walked over, running her hand along his chest with a smirk. "Doesn't matter now," she murmured, "Since we made a deal." Clint felt bile rise in his throat as she pressed her hips against his. "I can give you everything, you don't need scientific needs to get what you want," she told him.

"I said you could have me, doesn't mean I'll like it," he answered, glaring at her.

Bobbi just smirked, her hand moving down his chest and stomach, to the top of his pants. "Later," she said with a slight purr. Standing up on her tip toes, she forced his head down and pressed her lips to his. Clint's hands clenched into fists as he kept his mouth clamped shut, refusing to kiss her back. Pulling away, she smiled at him and touched his cheek.

"You'll enjoy yourself eventually," she replied.

She walked out of the room and Clint leaned back against the wall, letting out a deep breath.

Back at StarkTower, Natasha was holding Breasha close while Tony was going through his computer. "Where did Luka hide her?" Steve asked.

"He found a little cubby in the back of the closet," she replied.

"Put that there just in case it was needed," Tony commented.

He spread his arms wide and the map of the world grew wider. "Alright, Natasha, did you activate the tracking device?" Tony asked.

"JARVIS is pinpointing where Clint is now," she replied.

"Let's just hope Bobbi didn't take the ring off him," Bruce commented.

"Doubt it, can't remove a tracking device you don't know exists," Natasha replied.

She lightly cradled her daughter to her chest. "Dammit, Clint, why must he always be the hero?" she muttered.

"He was protecting you," Steve answered.

"I never needed his damn protection," she muttered.

"As your husband, that's his right and duty," Thor commented.

Natasha let out a sigh, watching as JARVIS was trying to locate Clint's position. "I doubt Ivan would take him back to Moscow, it's too risky," she commented.

"Do you have a clue of where he would go?" Bruce asked.

"The problem is Ivan has so many places he could hide it would take about a thousand of us to find him without a tracking device," Natasha replied.

Breasha opened her eyes and started whimpering. Hushing her daughter softly, she pressed a kiss to the side of her head, rubbing her back. "I doubt that Ivan's giving up on the idea of finding Breasha though," she stated.

"Why do you say that?" Bruce asked.

"Ivan would rather use the girls as his assassins than the men, if anything he's going to use Clint as some sort of vessel, try to use technology he has so that any kids Clint produces with…_her_…" she said in disdain, "would be girls."

"A vessel?" Thor asked.

Tony looked at the demigod. "Trust us, Thor, you don't want to know," he stated getting up from his seat.

"Natasha, I don't think it's a good idea if you went," Steve told her.

"Clint and I made an agreement a long time ago that if something were to happen to one of us, the other would stop at nothing to bring them home," she answered.

"That was before you had children," Steve pointed out.

Natasha grabbed a knife from her boot, holding it out to the super soldier. "Do you want to try to stop me?" she demanded with a glare. Steve held his hands up in the surrender gesture and she put her knife away when the alarms sounded.

"Where is he, JARVIS?" Tony asked.

"Agent Barton seems to be in a bunker in Siberia," JARVIS replied.

Natasha frowned when she saw the coordinates. "Oh wonderful," she muttered.

"What?" Steve asked.

"It's his underground bunker," she replied.

She let out a sigh as she walked out of the lab. "Stark, call Pepper please, we're going to need her to stay with the kids," she called out as she went up the stairs.

"Wait, Natasha, wait," Steve called out, going after her while Tony was making the call.

Putting Breasha down into her crib, Natasha pressed a kiss to her daughter's forehead before going over to her other two children, checking on them both. "Mommy," Luka called softly.

"Yeah," she said softly.

"Are you getting daddy?" he asked.

Natasha touched her son's sandy-blond hair. "I'm going to do whatever it takes to bring him home," she replied. She pressed a kiss to the side of his head before going over to the door. "Be good for Aunt Pepper," she instructed. She smiled as her son saluted her and turned on his nightlight before leaving the room.

Walking down the hall, she walked right by Steve. "You have children," he told her.

"Yeah, and they have a father too. I'm not going to sit back and knit while you're going to save him," she replied going down to the armory.

Not caring if Steve was watching, she undid her blouse and her pants, knowing her partial nakedness would make the gentleman of a soldier leave. Steve's face flushed ten shades of red as he stood outside the door. "You have children who need you," he insisted, "I grew up without my parents too you know."

"Your parents died when you were a child, there's nothing you could've done," she answered as she slipped into her suit.

Pulling her belt around her waist, she made sure her weapons were secured before pulling on her boots and leaving the armory. "I have a chance of giving my children everything, are you really going to make me stand back and not do anything?" she asked, looking at him. Steve stared at her, letting out a deep breath knowing that no matter what he said she was going to come. "Come on, Cap, suit up," she said with a smirk before going upstairs to get a jet.

Hours passed when Clint woke up to the sound of the door to his cell opening. "Hello handsome," Bobbi said with a smile. Clint remained emotionless as she walked over to him, food in hand. "I brought you something to eat," she stated, placing the tray beside the wall. He kept his mouth closed, diverting his eyes to the wall. "You can give me the silent treatment all you want, it won't distract me from what's going to happen later," she told him.

"Nothing's going to happen later," he answered.

Bobbi raised a blond brow, running her finger down his chest to his pants again. "Is that so?" she asked as her other hand rested over his thigh.

"If I'm not aroused now, what makes you think I will be later?" he asked with a smirk.

He leaned in closer to her so his face was inches from her. "Only one person can get me to react the way you want me to," he added in a taunting tone. Glaring at him, she pulled her hand back, punching him across the face. His head jerked to the side, but he was laughing, spitting the blood out in his mouth. "Yep that'll do it," he said between chuckles.

"If you don't give me what I want, I can kill you here and now," she told him.

"Threatening me won't do it either sweetheart," he answered, "I'm. Not. Interested."

"You traded yourself for your wife's life," she pointed out.

"Who is surrounded by the rest of the Avengers, you won't be able to get near her or our kids," he answered.

He shrugged a little. "Not unless you have a death wish," he commented. Bobbi glared before she cut his shirt apart.

"Fine, we'll have to do this the hard way then," she said with a sigh.

Taking out a long rod, she tapped it against the metal bed and he saw bolts of electricity go from rod to the bed. "This should come in handy," she said with a sneer. She pressed the tip of it to Clint's skin and his eyes grew wide as he grit his teeth, fighting as hard as he could not to scream in pain. After a few seconds she pulled away and his body went limp. "Damn…guess you're not in the same condition you were before. You will be again,' she told him.

Clint was gasping for breath when he saw her pull out a syringe. "Sure you don't want to give in?" she asked. Instead of answer, he reached out with his foot, kicking her legs out from underneath her as an answer. Getting up, she glared at him. "Have it your way!" she snapped.

Walking over to the door, she opened it, ordering two men to come in. They walked over and they pinned Clint's legs to the wall so he could kick her again. Taking the needle she jabbed it into Clint's arm, injecting whatever was in the syringe. In seconds, Clint's eyes grew wide and he started screaming in pure agony. It felt as if someone had lit his veins on fire. Bobbi stood back with a smirk, waving the men away as her victim was writhing in agony. "Much better than the taser," she said with an evil cackle.


	17. Fight in the Red Room

Chapter 16: Fight in the Red Room

Natasha wrapped her jacket tightly around her body, letting out a deep breath as they were going through the snow. "How much further?!" Tony called out.

"Just up here," she answered.

Walking over to what just looked like a pole in the ground, Natasha pulled off her hood. "Better be ready," she told her team.

****"Was born ready," Tony answered.

Natasha looked at Thor. "Mind doing the honors?" she asked, backing up. Thor took his hammer, swinging it around before slamming it onto the roof of the bunker.

In the bunker below, Clint was doing his hardest fighting off Bobbi, but his body was still aching from whatever she injected him with. He could feel her lips trail over his neck. "See? I knew I could get you to cooperate," she said with a smile.

"Numbering me up so you can actually rape a guy is hardly cooperation," he answered with a glare.

Bobbi continued to trace patterns into Clint's skin. "You know what?" she asked, pressing kisses to his neck, "Your little wifey will be coming."

"Of course she is," Clint answered, sounding like he was counting on it.

"What your friends don't realize is that everyone's waiting for them," she said with a smirk.

"To stop Iron Man, Captain America the Hulk, Natasha, and Thor? Really?" he asked, starting to laugh, "You people are so delusional."

Bobbi stared at him. "I can't wait to actually kill that pretty wife of yours, then I'll have you all to myself," she sneered.

"Yeah. Right," he answered.

Suddenly, they heard a loud boom against the roof and Clint smirked. "Looks like my backups here," he told her, "And guess what." Bobbi looked up at him and he lowered his arms. "Chains are just as easy to get out of as ropes," he told her. Grabbing the blond by her arm, he threw her into the wall and ran out of the room.

"STOP HIM!" he heard Bobbi scream as he ran around the corner.

Natasha jumped through the hole Thor created and she started racing through the halls. Grabbing the two disks from the pouches on her hips, she threw them across the floor causing a smoke screen. Coming through the smoke that blinded the men, she punched and kicked them. "We need to find Ivan," she heard Steve call out.

"I'll find Ivan!" Natasha answered, "You need to find Clint!"

She ran down the hall towards where Ivan would hide while the others were going through the halls at many men turned killing machines came at them.

Natasha ran down the hall, looking around. Taking her guns out, she fired shot after shot at them, ducking out of the way when they would retaliate. She had to keep one alive, she needed to know where Ivan was. "This ends here," she muttered under her breath.

Grabbing one of the man, she smashed his head into the wall, twisting his arm behind his back. "Where's Ivan?" she demanded. The man started muttering in Russian. "Где - Иван?!" she demanded. (Where's Ivan?!)

"Пойдите к черту Вы шлюха предателя!" the man snapped. (Go to hell you traitor whore!)

Natasha kicked him between the legs, throwing the man to the floor and pressed her knee into his back. "Если Вы хотите жить, то Вы скажете мне где, что сукин сын скрывается!" she snapped. (If you want to live you will tell me where the son of a bitch his hiding!) The man groaned loudly in pain and she saw fear flash before his eyes when she pressed her gun to his head.

"Вниз зал! Вниз зал!" he answered frantically. (Down the hall! Down the hall!)

Natasha knocked him out and went down the hall. Kicking the door open, she ran in with her guns raised when a fist landed in her face, sending her to the floor. "I have to admit, Natasha, I'm very disappointed in you," Ivan commented as the SHIELD agent got up, wiping her lip.

"Why? Because your plans for me didn't work?" she demanded.

She went after her old handler, kicking and punching at him but he retaliated with kicking and punching at her, sending the young woman to the floor. Grabbing her by her shoulder, he threw her across the floor and her head collided to a wall. Crying out in pain, she felt the blood dripping down the side of her head. "The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout…" Ivan said tauntingly as he walked over to the injured woman. He kicked her in the side, sending her on her back. "Down came the rain and washed the spider out," he said with a grin.

Natasha glared at him, striking out with her foot, sending him back. Ivan grabbed her arm as she went to punch him, throwing her over his back and onto the floor. "You impress me though, a woman whose body was ravaged by the experiments we performed on you, yet you still had three beautiful brats," he sneered.

"You leave my children out of this!" Natasha answered as she slowly stood up.

Ivan kicked her in the side, she grabbed his foot, twisting it and sending him to the floor. Ivan grabbed her throat, slamming her into the wall and saw her get dazed when her head collided. Leaning forward, he brushed his lips over her ear. "Remember all the fun we had?" he sneered.

"You mean the nightmares that took me thirteen years to get over?!" she snapped, kicking him in the stomach.

Ivan cackled at the young woman as she walked over to him. "Does your precious Clint know your little…secret," he said tauntingly.

"You mean Nadia?" Natasha demanded, swallowing hard, "Of course he knows about Nadia, he was _there_ when I lost her."

**(Flashback: 13 Years Ago)**

**_ Clint was having the sixteen-year-old rest, but she woke up in the SHIELD infirmary. "Where am I?" she asked._**

**_"SHIELD infirmary, don't worry, you'll be okay," he assured her._**

**_ Natasha looked around, her heart pounding into her chest. She remembered pain, she remembered Clint catching her as she almost fell face first into the floor when her water broke four months early. "Where…" she started to ask when she saw the sadness in Clint's grey eyes._**

**_"They couldn't save her, Natasha, I'm so sorry. They did everything they could," he told her._**

**_ Natasha stared at him with wide eyes. "You…You promised me that we would be safe!" she exclaimed. Clint was silent, staring at her. "YOU PROMISED ME!" she screamed, hitting him. He allowed her to hit him and punch him, but he didn't even budge. "Where is she?!" she screamed. Clint stood up, looking at the doctors._**

**_"The baby, where is she?" Clint demanded._**

**_ A doctor, seeing the distraught mother brought the still child to her. Natasha immediately took her daughter into her arms. "You promised me, you promised!" she exclaimed. Clint kneeled by her bed, pressing his forehead against her knees._**

**_"I promise you, Natasha, I'm going to spend the rest of my life making it up to you," he told her, swallowing hard._**

**_ She could see the sadness in his own eyes. "Natasha, I'm so sorry," he whispered, hugging her, "I'm so sorry." She cried softly against him as he held her and the still child in her arms._**

**(End Flashback)**

Natasha swallowed hard. "You killed her! They ran tests on her to see what went wrong and it was YOU!" she screamed as she ran at the man, "YOU KILLED HER!" Ivan laughed to see the emotional side of Natasha. Grabbing her again, he threw her across the room. What he wasn't counting on though was someone punching him in the face, sending him sprawling across the floor.

"I've been wanting to do that for ten damn years," Clint snapped, glaring at the man that was sprawled across the floor.

Running to Natasha, he helped her stand up. Natasha sat up, hugging her husband tightly while Ivan was still laughing. "What's so funny? You lose," Clint told him.

"No, Barton, you do," Ivan answered.

Clint saw a red button on the wall. "NO!" he shouted. He grabbed the knife from Natasha's hip, throwing it into the man's hand. "Get him, Tash," he told her. Natasha ran over to the evil man, kicking him and punching him.

"This is for my parents!" she snapped, punching him in the stomach, "This is for my sister that you killed because she fought you!" she kicked his knees, sending him to the floor, "This is for beating and raping me for eight years of my life!" she kicked him in the groin, "This is for trying to take Clint from me!" she took her gun and shot him in the stomach, "And watching you die slowly, that's for taking Nadia from me."

Ivan coughed, choking on his own blood as he reached up, grabbing Natasha around the throat. Clint ran over, prying the man's hands from his wife, punching him in the face. Pulling his wife in his arms, he slid to the floor, holding her close as they stared the dying man. Steve ran in to see the couple sitting on the floor wrapped around each other. "This place is about to blow, we have to get out of here," Steve told them.

"Can you walk?" Natasha asked him.

"Yep," he replied as she helped him up and they ran down the hall.

Clint grabbed a jacket off one of the dead men, pulling it around himself as they reached the hole Thor created. Thor was reaching through, and Clint gripped the man's arm and he easily pulled him up. "Jeez, Barton, you ever wear a shirt?" Stark asked.

"Nat doesn't mind it," Clint answered before he helped his wife out of the bunker.

"Come on, come on, we have thirty seconds," Stark told them.

They ran over to the jet that was waiting and they saw an unconscious Bobbi lying on the floor. Natasha reached for her gun. "No wait!" Bruce called out, standing in front of her, "I have time to explain later but leave her alone for now." Natasha stared at the man before she put her gun away. She looked at Clint to see his body still reacting to whatever they did to him.

"Clint?" she called to him as he slid to the floor, "Clint!"

She ran over, kneeling in front of him. "Stay with me, Hawk, don't you dare leave me," she told him. Clint stared at her.

"She did something…a needle…" he told her.

She pulled back the jacket to see the baseball sized bruise on his shoulder. The jet rocked as the bunker exploded. "We need to get him to the helicarrier, immediately," she told Stark.

"On it," Stark answered, flying back home.

Natasha stared at her husband, resting her hand on his cheek. "Don't you dare leave me, you promised me," she answered. Clint reached up, resting his hand over hers, staring into her eyes.

"Not done keeping my promise," he told her, gripping her hand.

Smiling, she rested her forehead against his as they waited to reach the helicarrier.


	18. Getting the Real Truth

Chapter 17: Getting the Real Truth

Natasha was standing outside of the infirmary, waiting on what the doctors had to say about whatever Bobbi had injected in him. "Mommy!" she heard a voice call. Looking over, she was relieved to see Luka and Valera running to her.

Kneeling down on the floor, she took her children into her arms. She kissed them both, hugging them tightly. "Mommy, you're hurting us," Luka told her.

"Sorry," she said smiling.

"Where's dad?" Luka asked.

Natasha stroked her son's cheek. "Your dad's in with the doctor right now, the bad guys really hurt him so they're just making sure he's okay," she explained.

"Daddy otay?" Valera asked.

"Daddy will be fine," Natasha replied, kissing her daughter's forehead.

Standing up, she smiled to see Pepper there with Breasha in her arms. "Hello there," she cooed softly, taking her child in her arms. She pressed a kiss to her forehead, letting out a sigh.

"Have they given you any idea of what was going on?" Pepper asked.

"Nothing yet," she replied.

Breasha looked at her with gray eyes, gurgling softly as she gripped her mother's fingers tightly. Looking up, she saw Bruce walk over to her. "You better give me a damn good reason why I didn't kill Bobbi where she lied," she said angrily.

"I ran some scans over Bobbi after we caught her, it looks like during the time the Red Room held her and Clint captive, they implanted this into her neck right below the base of her skull," Bruce explained.

He showed Natasha a tiny chip he had removed from Bobbi's neck. "This controlled her brain, they used their computers to control her and make her do whatever they wanted her to do," he added. Natasha placed Breasha back into Pepper's arms before looking at the microchip.

"Where is she now?" she asked.

"She's resting, she should be fine in a few days," he replied.

"Do you think she'll remember anything?" Natasha asked.

Bruce crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not exactly sure," he replied, "Do you have any idea of what they injected into Clint?" Natasha sighed, handing the chip back to her friend.

"It might've been another form of the serum they used on me, since I was no longer their guinea pig they were going to try to use it on someone else," she replied.

She glanced over at her sleeping infant daughter. "Because Clint sacrificed himself, he was probably a better target than an infant," she added.

"Why would they go after Breasha in the first place?" Pepper asked.

Natasha had the children go into the play area as she had them all sit down. "You have to understand, Ivan had no soul whatsoever. He kidnapped my sister and me, making everyone believe he saved us from a fire that killed our parents. I was young, was easy to manipulate so yeah I believed it too. I was only five at the time, my sister, Roza, was three. We were put into an orphanage and three years later the Red Room took over. We were trained harshly for so long. When I was thirteen…that was when Ivan started doing worse things to me," she explained.

Natasha felt her skin crawl when all she could remember the way his large hand moved over her abdomen when he pulled her to him. "For three years, he did this to me. Three years and then he married me off to Alexei," she added. She pushed her hair from her eyes, letting out a deep breath. "Once I was out of the way, he turned his eyes to Roza, but Roza refused to allow him to touch her…" she trailed off, swallowing hard.

**(Flashback)**

**_ Natasha arrived to the Red Room to see Ivan standing there with a beaten Roza. "Roza!" she gasped. The young fourteen-year-old had tears streaming down her face. "What did you do?" she demanded._**

**_"She refused to listen to my rules, now, all you girls will learn your lesson here!" he snapped._**

**_ Two guards grabbed Natasha's arms when Roza was thrown to the floor. Her sister raised her eyes to her and she showed no fear. "I'll tell mama and papa 'hi'," she said softly. Natasha looked at Ivan to see him raising his gun at her._**

**_"NO!" she shouted._**

**_ Shoving the men off her, she stood between the path of the gun and her sister. "Ivan! Please! I beg of you, I'll take responsibility for what she did! Please! Don't kill her, she's just a child!" she exclaimed._**

**_"Natalia, you know the rules," he snapped._**

**_ Natasha shook her head slowly when more men grabbed her, pinning her to the floor. "NO! NO! ROZA!" she screamed. She grabbed for her sister's hand when the gun went off and just like that, her sister's hand went limp in hers. Natasha stared at her sister whose eyes were closed, showing she was at peace. "NO!" Natasha wailed in horror._**

**(End Flashback)**

Natasha swallowed hard with tears in her eyes. "Valera Roza," Bruce murmured.

"My sister was all the family I had left, then Ivan took her from me. Then Alexei died, I ended up back in Ivan's hold. A month after I was back there, he sent me on a mission…a suicide mission," she answered.

"That's where you met Clint," Pepper murmured.

Natasha nodded her head slowly. "I remember lying on the floor waiting for him to kill me," she murmured.

**(Flashback)**

**_ Natasha was lying on the floor, whatever drug Ivan gave her that was supposed to help her beat this SHIELD agent worked against her. He was able to disarm and defeat her in seconds. She could hear a gun click right by her head and closed her eyes. "Do it…just do it…please," she murmured._**

**_ The Agent was silent, she heard the gun disarm and the clip fall to the floor. A second after that, the agent kneeled beside her, helping her up. He pushed her long red curls from her eyes before he took his jacket, wrapping it around her. "A young woman like you shouldn't be waiting for death," he told her. She stared at him, trying to catch her breath from the fight they were locked in just seconds ago. "Do you want to live?" he asked. Natasha swallowed hard, staring at him._**

**_"What do I have to live for?" she asked._**

**_ Standing up, he held his hand out to her. "Come with me and I'll show you," he answered. Staring out his outstretched hand, she reached up and grasped his hand and he helped her up from the floor._**

**_"Your name's not James Wills is it?" she asked._**

**_ He chuckled lightly. "No, it's Clint Barton," he answered._**

**(End Flashback)**

Natasha smiled a little at the memory. "I found out I was pregnant with Nadia not long after that, Clint was beside me the whole time, preparing everything for a child that wasn't even his, but because of the serum in my body…it made me deliver five months early," she explained. She twisted her ring around on her finger. "Ivan's evil ways killed my daughter before she had a chance to live. Clint's ever since been trying to make it up to me, but the truth is…he never had anything to make up for," she explained, looking at them.

Pepper had tears in her eyes as she listened to what she had to say. "Mrs. Barton," the doctor called out. Natasha patted her friend's leg with a small smile.

"I'm fine now," she assured her before she got up to speak with the doctor.

She stood in front of him. "How is he?" she asked.

"He's resting comfortably. We ran tests to find out what it was they injected him with. It turns out that it was another form of the serum," the doctor explained.

Natasha rubbed her forehead, letting out a deep breath. "What's the damage?" she asked.

"Well…as the same diagnosis as we gave you when you first arrived and after you lost your first child. While healing will be faster and he'll be able to repress any sort of pain. He'll age as slowly as you will, but with the side effect that you two ever having anymore children will be difficult if at all possible," he explained.

Letting out another sigh, she nodded her head slowly in understanding. "Can I see him?" she asked. The doctor nodded, leading her to her husband's room.

Walking into the room, she saw her husband sitting up in the bed, fiddling with his wedding ring. "Hey," she called to him. Looking over at his wife as she walked over, she sat beside him, holding onto his hand. "Doctor says you're going to be fine," she commented.

"Yeah, and superhuman," he answered.

He ran his thumb over her knuckles. "At least we got three kids right?" he asked, trying to make light of the situation.

"Won't have to worry about another one accidentally happening," she answered, smiling back at him.

They sat in silence for awhile when Clint held her hand a little tighter. "Nat…I'm sorry," he said suddenly. She looked at him surprised.

"For what?" she asked.

"I promised that I would give you a great life, that I would make it up to you for having the life you had," he answered.

Natasha moved more onto the bed, holding his hand tighter in hers. "Clint, for the last thirteen years of my life, I have been nothing but happy," she told him. He looked at her and she rested her hand on the back of his neck. "And to make it up to me, that's not your job, you didn't do anything to make my life a living hell. You've done nothing but make my life better," she explained, "I don't regret a single moment of my life with you, because you gave me life." She stroked his cheek softly as he looked at her. "I love you so much, I should be making it up to you for making my life better," she added.

Clint rested his hand on the side of her neck and rested his forehead to hers. "I love you so much," she repeated.

"I love you, more than anything," he answered.

Leaning forward, she pressed her lips to his and he wrapped his arms tightly around her as he pulled her closer. "Should we have Pepper and Bruce bring the kids in?" she asked.

"Yeah, would love to see them," he answered smiling.

Getting off the bed, she opened the door. "Daddy!" Luka and Valera said excitedly.

"Hey you guys," he said smiling as Natasha got them up onto the bed.

Hugging his children close, he kissed them both. "I missed you so much," he told them. The kids held onto him tightly as Natasha stood by the bed with Breasha in her arms. The couple smiled at each other and held hands while basking in this moment with their children. It was at this moment they knew everything was going to be okay.


	19. Epilogue: Family Who Works Together

Epilogue: The Family Who Works Together

Natasha woke up, glancing at her clock to see that it was only three in the morning, she got up and pressed her hand to her forehead. Looking to her left, she saw that her husband was out of bed. Getting up, she pulled on one of his t-shirts and boxers, going downstairs.

Going into the training room they had put into the house, she found him standing there with his bow and arrow in hand. Leaning against the door, she watched as he practiced, hitting the bullseye with every shot. "What nightmare did you have this time?" she asked. Clint glanced at her before firing another arrow.

"Nothing new," he replied before firing another arrow.

"This new mission dealing with Luka?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his waist.

She rested her chin over his shoulder as he lowered his weapon. "I don't like it, Tasha, he's only a kid," he answered.

"So were we," she pointed out.

"He should be worrying about finishing high school," he muttered.

"Really? You really think that he's going to want to finish high school? _Our_ son?" she asked.

Chuckling lightly, he put the bow down and turned around, leaning against the wall behind him as he looked at her. "Trust our son, alright?" she asked as she stood in front of him, resting her hands on his chest, "He's as smart as his father."

"And mother," He answered.

Natasha pressed a kiss to her husband's chest with a small smile on her face.

**(Four Years Later: London, England)**

Clint and 20-year-old Luka were standing side by side, waiting for their mother's signal. "I have to tell you something, son," he told his young adult son.

"Yeah?" Luka asked.

Clint looked at his son with a grin. "I'm very proud of you," he answered. Luka grinned, gripping his father's arm.

"Thanks for letting me be part of this, dad," he answered.

They looked over as Natasha ran through the halls. "NOW!" she shouted. The father and son duo jumped from the ceiling, Clint's bow raised while Luka's crossbow was raised. They fired shot after shots, Steve coming out from hiding with a shield in place, all four of them ducking as their enemy rained bullets on them.

"Shall we dance?" Clint asked, holding his hand out to his wife.

Natasha grinned softly. "Only if I get to lead," she told her husband.

"Not on your life," he answered.

She gripped his arm as he bent his knee forward so she could walk on his knee, to his shoulder, and flipped towards their enemy with her guns raised. "This truly is just like Budapest!" she told him grinning.

"You and I still remember that differently," Clint answered with a smirk, firing another arrow.

"Mom's incredible!" Luka exclaimed over the noise as he quickly exchanged his crossbow for his gun.

"She truly is," Clint answered with a grin.

"LUKA!" a voice shouted.

Luka looked over his shoulder as his sisters, Valera, came out of hiding. He grabbed his sister's arm, with all her momentum he swung around and she kicked an attempted terrorist in the face. "Just like you kids are!" Clint said with a grin as he ran over to help his wife.

They got back to the Helicarrier that night to see Breasha at the computers. "You got them," the fourteen-year-old said smiling as she stood up.

"Nice lookout baby," Natasha said smiling, kissing her daughter's cheek.

Clint smiled as they congratulated their children, the family that worked together stayed together. Not only that, they were stronger together, becoming an unstoppable team. Neither Natasha or Clint would have it any other way. Natasha looked over at her husband and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I love you," she murmured.

"I love you," he answered.

Leaning forward, he gave her a soft kiss and they were looking forward to their few days off. Since they knew the moment they came abck, it was time for another mission. It was another obstacle they would beat together as a team as well as a family.

**(Preview to Next Story)**

**_Back in her room, Natalia sat down with her computer. "Why are you back in your room?" her boss demanded._**

**_"He didn't invite me back to his room," she answered._**

**_"This man will be harder to kill. You need to use more than seduction on him," he stated._**

**_"What do you mean?" she asked._**

**_"Get close to him," he replied._**

**_"How close?" she asked._**

**_"As the saying goes, keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer," her boss replied before disconnecting their conversation._**

**Title: If Only**

**Genre: Romance/Angst**

**Pairings: Clint/Natasha**

**Rating: T (always a possibility for M)**

**Story due: February 8, 2013**


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